Chisa Ejionwu, a 23-year-old woman, has been arrested by operatives of the Rivers State Police Command, for allegedly stealing a five-year-old boy identified as Michael, at Ogbogoro town in the Obio/Akpo Local Government Area of the state.
The suspect reportedly stole the boy from his parents' compound and took him to Ogbakiri in Emeoha Local Government Area where she registered him in one of the schools in the area.
But she could not hide for long because a neighbour of the boy's family who knew that their son had been stolen, happened to visit someone at Ogbakiri and saw Ejionwu taking the boy to school one morning.
When the neighbour confronted her, Ejionwu engaged in a bitter quarrel, which led to them being taken to the palace of the traditional ruler of the community.
The grand father of the boy was then contacted and he informed the ruler that the family had been looking for the boy since April 17, 2015, and had declared him missing.
“I was surprised when one of my neighbours called me to say my grandson has been found and that I should come to the palace of the traditional ruler.
When I got there, the lady that stole my grandson insisted that the boy was her son. I went out and brought in a team of policemen, who arrested everybody.
It was when we were all brought to state police command headquarters that the lady that stole my grandson confessed."
After owning up to her crimes, Ejionwu confessed in tears that she had undergone an operation earlier and was told that she would not be able to bear children.
Hear her:
“I subsequently decide to steal the boy and register him in a school. It was when I was taking him to school that a lady that recognised the boy confronted me.
I was not planning to sell the child. I only wanted to have him for myself.”