Female Sergeant Sells Baby Brought To Police Station

A female sergeant, Obotie Adesuwa, is currently in the cell
of the X-Squad Section of the Lagos State Police Command, after she allegedly
sold a week-old baby boy who had been brought with his mother to a police
station.

Punch Metro learnt that Adesuwa, who hails from Edo State,
is attached to the Akinpelu Police Division, where the baby boy and her mother,
Toyin, who is said to be mentally unstable, had also been brought to by a Good
Samaritan.

It was gathered that the Good Samaritan, who was taking care
of the baby’s mother, had brought Toyin and her child to the station after
Toyin was delivered of the baby in a psychiatric hospital.

They were reportedly brought to the police in the last week
of September. It was learnt that Adesuwa, who was on duty, had received the
baby.

Punch Metro gathered that there was, however, trouble at the
Akinpelu division on Monday, November 9, when Toyin showed up at the station to
ask for her baby, but the sergeant allegedly denied knowing the woman.

It was learnt that the matter had caused an altercation
during which the Divisional Police Officer invited the mother and the sergeant
and interrogated them. The sergeant was said to have confessed to the DPO that
she collected the baby but had sold him.

A police source told our correspondents that Adesuwa
allegedly took the baby to her village in Edo State, and later sold him to a
family in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Our correspondents learnt that Adesuwa, who allegedly failed
to record the incident in the crime diary of the police station on the fateful
evening, was then arrested and taken to the Area F command, Ikeja, from where
she was later transferred to the X-Squad Section.

The source said, “The incident happened at the Akinpelu
Police Division. The sergeant received the report of a mentally deranged woman
and her newborn baby. But on the same evening, she was said to have arranged
for the woman and the baby to be put inside a car and driven away by unknown
persons.

“At a junction, the baby’s mother was given N500 and asked
to alight. The car drove away with the baby. It was on Monday, November 9, that
the mother unbelievably showed up at the station to ask for her baby. The
sergeant initially denied ever meeting her.

“The DPO was later informed, and took all of them to the
Area Commander, and then the female sergeant was arrested. The baby has now
been recovered.”

Another source, who claimed to have spoken with Adesuwa
after her arrest, added that the sergeant gave the baby to one of her relatives
in Edo State to sell to a couple in Port Harcourt at an undisclosed amount.

She explained that the baby was later rescued through the
help of policemen while the buyer was also arrested.

She said, “The mother of the baby came to ask after him
about two months after and that was when the bubble burst. When Adesuwa denied
ever knowing her, the baby’s mother was enraged and went to report to the DPO.

“The DPO then ordered that Adesuwa be detained.That was when
she confessed to the DPO that the baby had been taken to her village, and later
sold in Port Harcourt. The suspect, was however, able to help in recovering the
baby.

“The woman, who helped her to carry the baby to Port
Harcourt, has also been arrested. She (Adesuwa) told us, her police friends,
that it was the devil that pushed her to commit the crime.”

Our correspondents gathered that Toyin had also showed up at
the X-Squad Section and was assisting the police with investigation.

Efforts to reach the baby’s mother for comment, were,
however, not successful as of press time.

The Lagos State Police Public Relatisons Officer, DSP Joe
Offor, confirmed Adesuwa’s arrest, adding that investigation was ongoing.

He said, “The sergeant was arrested in connection with a
stolen baby boy. Investigation is ongoing.”

Punch