Woman Arrested for Allegedly Abducting Two Babies to Replace Dead Twins in Delta

The Delta State Police Command has arrested a woman identified as Joy for allegedly abducting two babies in a desperate attempt to replace her twin children who died shortly after birth.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed the development in a video shared on Facebook, describing the case as one of the most shocking child abduction incidents recently handled by the command.

According to Edafe, the suspect allegedly kidnapped a four-month-old baby after posing as a customer at a groundnut-selling point. Investigations revealed that she deceived a 14-year-old caregiver and made away with the infant while attention was diverted elsewhere.

Further police investigations uncovered that Joy had earlier abducted another baby under a different circumstance. She reportedly befriended an 18-year-old mother, pretending to assist her in securing a house help, before allegedly making away with the child.

During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed that her biological twins died at six weeks old while she was away from home. She explained that before the infants died, her husband had already distributed invitations for their dedication ceremony.

According to the police, Joy said she feared the shame and embarrassment of explaining the loss of the twins to relatives, friends, and invited guests. As a result, she allegedly hatched a plan to abduct a baby boy and a baby girl to replace the deceased children.

The suspect further confessed that the abducted children were presented as her own and were subsequently dedicated before her arrest.

SP Edafe confirmed that both babies have been rescued and reunited with their families, while investigations are ongoing to determine if other persons were involved in the crime.

He urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant and exercise caution when dealing with strangers, warning against entrusting children to unfamiliar individuals regardless of how trustworthy they may appear.

The police spokesman reiterated the command's commitment to combating child trafficking, abduction, and other crimes against children across the state.