A Beninoise woman identified as Funke Babaelo has said that one of the three abandoned children found by policemen in Festac, Lagos, is her baby.
Babaelo, 29, who relocated from her Alakuko residence in Ogun State to the Festac Police Division since Tuesday said the baby, Destiny Oluwasegun, was snatched from her around 9pm on July 26, by suspected abductors on Iyana-Iba-Ikotun road.
According to Babaelo, she boarded a cab going to Iyana-Ipaja from Iyana-Iba after the dayโs business only to be pushed out of the taxi midway with her son and handbag taken from her.
โI used to come from Benin Republic to buy attachments and other goods which I sell. But for the past six months, I rented a place at Alakuko and I stay there until I have concluded my shopping and I go back.
โBut on July 26, a neighbour told me that instead of going to Lagos Island that I can go to Iyana-Iba market and still get attachments cheap. That was how I went to the market.
โBefore I could finish that day, it was already dark. It was around 9pm and I walked to the bus stop to board a vehicle back to my place.
โAs I stood there, a small car stopped and the driver said โN150 to Iyana-Ipajaโ. There were four persons in the car including an elderly woman who sat on the front seat. I bonded the car because of the woman I saw in front. If it was only men, I wouldnโt have entered.
โThe vehicle was quiet and no one spoke until we descended the bridge. As soon as we were down the bridge, the car parked and I asked the driver if thereโs any problem. To my surprise, I was told to come down there, while I was still breastfeeding him.
โThey started dragging the baby with me and one of the men used something like an iron to hit me on the shoulder. As I was about to fall off the car, they succeeded in taking my child and sped off,โ she said.
Continuing, the woman said she went to various police stations to complain about her predicament, adding that she also notified her husband and relatives in Benin Republic.
โAll the police stations I went to collected my number and they told me that they will call me once they hear anything. Since then, I have been moving around with my sonโs picture begging people to assist with information.
โIt was on Tuesday that my neighbour told me to run to Festac police station that she heard in the news that police found abandon babies. I ran to the police station, showed them the picture of my son. Told them the dress I wore him the day he was taken from me and also told them about the immunisation mark on his left arm.
โBut they did not bring out the baby until Wednesday morning when I saw him and thank God, it was my child. I did not abandon him. God forbid, I can never abandon him. He was snatched from me. I thank God he has been found. I also thank the police. I have not been able to do anything since he was stolen,โ she said.
A police source who confirmed that the woman reported at Ojo Police Station about her stolen son, added that she also correctly identified the clothe her son wore and the mark which they (police) earlier thought was a boil.
The source added that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Monday Agbonikan, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) said the baby will be handed over to the mother after concluding investigation on the matter.
โIt is true. The woman explained how everything happened and according to residents, it was a man who dumped the boy in Festac. The DPO was very happy that the mother showed up. I think he will hand over the baby to the mother if she provides further proof,โ said the source.