The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested a 19-year-old woman, Khadija Ibrahim, for allegedly stealing a newborn baby in Zuru Local Government Area and presenting the child to her husband as her own.
According to report, Ibrahim, a resident of Rikoto in Zuru LGA, was arrested on August 14, 2026, following an investigation into the incident, which occurred on July 23, 2025.
The police said the suspect allegedly took the baby shortly after its biological mother, Fatima Muhammad, gave birth.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, Ibrahim had offered to help the new mother by fetching hot water but allegedly fled with the newborn.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect had allegedly been under social and emotional pressure over not yet having a child, as some of her peers had already given birth,” the statement said.
The police alleged that Ibrahim had also deceived her husband for about nine months into believing that she was pregnant.
“After the birth of Fatima Muhammad’s baby, [she] allegedly took the child and presented it to her husband as their own,” the statement added.
The baby was later recovered and safely reunited with its biological mother, according to the police.
The suspect remains in police custody and is expected to be charged to court after the investigation is concluded.
The Commissioner of Police, Kebbi State Command, CP Umar Hadejia, commended the officers involved in recovering the baby and arresting the suspect.
Hadejia also assured residents that the command would continue to protect children and ensure that anyone found culpable of criminal acts faces justice.
The police urged members of the public to provide useful information to security agencies to help protect vulnerable persons and prevent crimes against children.
