Ekiti Court Sentences Woman to 14 Years for Stealing Newborn Baby, Declares Her Wanted

An Ekiti State High Court in Ado-Ekiti has sentenced 37-year-old Deborah Ayeni to 14 years in prison for stealing a newborn baby, but she will begin serving the sentence only after she is arrested.

Ayeni was absent from court when Justice Lekan Olatawura delivered the judgment after she failed to return for trial while on bail. The judge subsequently declared her a fugitive and directed security agencies to assist in bringing her to justice.

Justice Olatawura ordered the court registrar to forward copies of the judgment and a letter declaring Ayeni wanted to the Nigeria Police, the Comptroller-General of Customs and the media.

The court ruled that the 14-year prison term would take effect from the date of Ayeni’s arrest.

Ayeni was initially arraigned on September 1, 2025, and pleaded not guilty to a one-count charge of child stealing. Prosecuting counsel, Ibironke Odetola, told the court that Ayeni allegedly took a newborn belonging to Mustapher Aliu and his wife, Falmata, from a hospital in the Okeyinmi area of Ado-Ekiti on August 4, 2025.

The prosecution alleged that Ayeni had previously suffered a pregnancy loss but concealed it from her husband, who lives abroad, by pretending she was still pregnant. She reportedly invited him to Nigeria for the expected delivery and used clothing around her abdomen to maintain the appearance of pregnancy.

According to the prosecution, Ayeni later gained access to the newborn at the hospital and took the child away. She allegedly handed the baby to a midwife and told her husband that she had given birth before burying the placenta.

The midwife reportedly became suspicious about the circumstances surrounding the baby and alerted the police. Her report led to Ayeni’s arrest, while the stolen child was later recovered alive by the police.

The prosecution called four witnesses during the trial. Following Ayeni’s failure to appear in court, her bail was revoked and the court also ordered her two sureties, including her father, Babatope Ebenezer Ayeni, to serve six months in prison for failing to produce her and to pay the prescribed recognisance fees.