A 19-year-old woman, Khadija Ibrahim, has been arrested by the Kebbi State Police Command for allegedly stealing a newborn baby in Zuru Local Government Area and presenting the child to her husband as her own.
Ibrahim, a resident of Rikoto, Zuru LGA, was arrested on August 14, 2026, following an investigation into the alleged incident, which occurred on July 23, 2025.
According to the police, the suspect allegedly approached the baby’s mother, Fatima Muhammad, shortly after she gave birth and offered to fetch hot water for her. She allegedly took the newborn and fled.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, said preliminary investigations indicated that Ibrahim had been under social and emotional pressure over not having a child, while some of her peers had already become mothers.
Police also alleged that she had deceived her husband for about nine months into believing she was pregnant before allegedly taking Muhammad’s baby and presenting the child as theirs.
The baby was later recovered and safely reunited with the biological mother, police said.
Ibrahim remains in custody and is expected to be charged after investigations are concluded.
The Commissioner of Police, Kebbi State Command, CP Umar Hadejia, commended the officers involved and urged residents to provide information that could help prevent crimes against children
