Abdulai Zalia, a 27-year-old lady, has been apprehended by the West Mamprusi Police Command for stealing a 13-month-old baby at Walewale in the North East Region.
The incident happened on Thursday, April 18, 2024, while the mother of the baby was sleeping in an open space of her home.
The baby’s father, who left home to watch a football match, returned home and realized the child was not beside his sleeping mother.
They immediately reported the matter to the police.
The alleged baby thief was arrested on the same day with the 13-month-old baby in her custody by the investigative team.
Investigations are ongoing, and Zaila is set to appear in court on April 19, 2024.
It is alleged that Abdulai Zalia, who hails from Nalerigu, is mentally challenged and has been stealing petty things in the area.
Recently, members of the Church of Pentecost at Asante Akyem Agogo in the Ashanti Region also witnessed a similar case, as a 16-year-old girl allegedly stole a baby while service was ongoing.
During service on Sunday, March 24, 2024, the suspect reportedly tricked the baby’s grandmother into handing over the baby.
She convinced the elderly woman that she was sending the baby over to the mother on the same premises to breastfeed him.
However, she disappeared with the baby.
Upon a search, the distraught parents found that the suspect had taken the child to her family house in Agogo Zongo.
The family, however, became suspicious of her claims as she had a history of mental health problems and was receiving treatment at a prayer camp in Ananekrom.
They subsequently took the suspect and the baby to the police station, where she was detained.