The Police Command in Lagos State has approved the dismissal of Insp. Samuel Ukpabio, over alleged baby theft.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, announced the dismissal on Thursday on his verified Twitter handle.
He said the recommendation of Ukpabio ’s dismissal was approved on Thursday.
“The recommendation for the dismissal of Inspector Samuel Ukpabio has been approved.
“This automatically paves way for his prosecution.
“The State Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa, assures Lagosians of his unwavering determination to police the state within the dictates of rule of law, civility and respect for human life,” he said.
It could be recalled that a 35-year-woman, Fortune Obhafuoso, had accused Ukpabio, who was attached to Panti Division, of conniving with others to steal her day-old baby.
The single mother of three claimed that Ukpabio arrested her, accused her of attempting to sell the baby for N3m and forced her to write a statement to that effect.
Obhafuoso, who claimed that she gave birth on Dec. 22, 2022, said the following day, Ukpabio forcefully took away the baby and gave him to an unidentified woman.
According to her, she was given N185,000 and threatened by Ukpabio never to return for the child or he will arrest her and take the remaining two children from her.
She eventually reported the matter to a rights activist, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, the Founding Director, Women Advocates, Research and Documentation Centre, who petitioned security agents to wade into the issue.
BRANDPOWER reports that the rights group, Women Advocates Research & Documentation Centre, WARDC, had demanded justice over the alleged abduction of the day-old-baby christened Baby Joseph.
“On February 6, 2023, a petition, addressed to the Inspector General of Police to transfer the case against Ukpabio for abduction and human trafficking of Baby Joseph to the National Agency For The Prohibition of Trafficking In Person, NAPTIP, was made by 141 human and women’s rights organisations led by
WARDC but there has been no response since then.”
Recalling the incident that led to the disappearance of the baby, she said: “We were reliably informed by the victim that she solicited for assistance on social media sometime in October, 2022 due to her condition, being a single mother of two kids who was at that time about seven months’ pregnant. She was offered assistance by one Mrs. Tosin Jeremiah who claimed to be a Matron.
“The said Mrs. Jeremiah invited the victim along with her kids over on December 16, 2022 and directed
her to her friend’s place at Agbara, Lagos. The victim stayed with Jeremiah’s friend (Mama Rachel) at the above address for one week.
“On December 22, 2022, the said Tosin’s friend ordered for an Uber taxi that took our client from Agbara to MR BIGG’S at Abule-Egba, where a doctor and a lady came to pick the victim to one hospital annex located at Ajegunle Bus Stop, Alakuko, by Abeokuta Expressway, Lagos, where the victim delivered a baby boy on December 23, 2022.
“Few hours after the victim’s delivery, the same doctor took her back to MR BIGG’S at Abule-Egba for the same Uber driver to take her back to Agbara. There, the victim met with two ladies and Mr Ukpabio, who introduced himself as a police officer from Nigeria Police Force, Panti C.I.D, Yaba Lagos.
