An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has sentenced Deborah Ayeni, 37, to 14 years in prison for stealing a newborn baby. Justice Lekan Olatawura delivered the judgment, declaring Ayeni a fugitive and ordering security agencies to apprehend her. The court also sentenced Ayeni's father and another surety to six months' imprisonment each for failing to produce her in court as required under the bail conditions.
Ayeni was first arraigned on September 1, 2025, on a one-count charge of child stealing. She pleaded not guilty to the charge. According to the prosecution, led by Ibironke Odetola, Ayeni committed the offence on August 4, 2025, in Ado-Ekiti, when she allegedly stole a newborn baby belonging to Mustapher Aliu and his wife, Falmata.
The prosecution told the court that Ayeni was arrested and detained at the Correctional Centre in Ado-Ekiti before being granted bail in the sum of N2 million, with two sureties required to enter recognisance in the same amount. However, Ayeni disappeared while the third witness was being called during the trial. She had told her counsel, Stephen Ademuagun, that she had been kidnapped along the road, after which she stopped appearing in court.
Investigations revealed that Ayeni had allegedly lost a pregnancy around May 2025 and, fearing that the development could affect her marriage, told her husband, who lives abroad, that she was pregnant and due to give birth. Ayeni invited her husband to Nigeria for the purported delivery and used clothes wrapped around her stomach to make him believe she was pregnant.
The prosecutor said Ayeni went to a hospital in the Okeyinmi area of Ado-Ekiti and stole the baby from the complainants. She later handed the baby to a midwife for care after telling her husband that she had buried the placenta. The midwife became suspicious of Ayeni's conduct and alerted the police, leading to her arrest. The stolen child was subsequently rescued alive by the police.
Justice Olatawura directed the court registrar to forward copies of the judgment and a letter declaring Ayeni a fugitive to the Comptroller-General of Customs, the Nigeria Police and the media to facilitate her arrest. The judge ordered that Ayeni's 14-year sentence should begin from the day she is apprehended. The offence contravened Section 292 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
The case highlights the severity of child stealing in Nigeria and the need for swift action by law enforcement agencies. The Nigeria Police and other security agencies have been tasked with apprehending Ayeni. Her arrest and subsequent imprisonment are expected to serve as a deterrent to others who may be considering similar crimes.
Key points
- Deborah Ayeni was sentenced to 14 years in prison for stealing a newborn baby.
- Ayeni was declared a fugitive after failing to appear in court during her trial.
- The offence contravened Section 292 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
