How 14–month-old baby abducted in Edo was rescued in Imo

The police in Edo State have rescued a 14-month-old baby, identified as Osamagbe Grace, allegedly abducted from an Edo orphanage home, in Imo State.

The baby was allegedly abducted by her nanny, Rejoice Samuel Chukwu, 24y, and her boyfriend, Destiny Uchechukwu, while she was seven months old in April in Benin who sold her to an orphanage home in Imo State.

The State Commissioner of Police, Umoru Ozigi, said the suspects were arrested by the Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Unit of the command in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State.

He said one Jacob Egharevba of Iguosa Housing Estate, Oluku, Benin City, reported to the police that his seven-month-old granddaughter Osamagbe Grace, was abducted by a house-help in April 2024, The suspects were arrested in November in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State. 

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He said the duo jointly abducted the baby, absconded and collected a ransom of N160,000 from the grandparents, adding that despite receiving the money, they sold their victim,  one Doris Chiwendu, in Owerri, Imo State for N500,000.

“But, on November 9, the said Doris Chiwendu and one Jane Amaigbo were arrested at Ubomiri area of Imo State, and the victim, who is now one-year-two-months-old, was rescued and reunited with its parents. 

He said the suspects would soon be charged to court.

Victim’s grandmother’s narration

Mrs Stella Egharevba, the grandmother, said her husband contacted Rejoice to become her nanny as the baby’s mother was having health challenges.

“She was coming to take care of the baby at our Iguosa housing estate in Olukun till I returned from work.”

She explained that sometimes, the nanny used to come with a man whom she introduced to them as her husband, adding  that “she would carry her (victim) to their house and bring her back in in the evening when I returned from work.” 

“One day, she came to pick her up and didn’t come back with the baby. When my husband went to their house, he was told that she had travelled out of Benin. 

“Later, the nanny’s husband called my husband and demanded N1.5 million to return the baby and threatened to sell the baby if we failed to respond.

“My husband sent them N110,000 but he was still threatening, and he sent an additional N50,000 to them, yet they refused to bring the baby.”

She said it was at that point that they reported the matter to the police, who recovered that baby a month later.

Suspects’ response

In an interview with journalists, the suspect, Rejoice, who hails from River State, said, in April, the victim’s grandparents contacted her to help them take care of  the baby since the mother was having health challenge.

“So, I will go there in the morning to take care of the baby, and at times I will take her to our house and return her to her grandmother in the evening. But, in June,  I took her to Imo State alongside my boyfriend to an orphanage home.” 

Also speaking, Rejoice’s boyfriend, Destiny Uchechukwu, 24, also  from River State, said they took the baby to Imo State  orphanage home for adoption. 

“I told the orphanage that the baby’s mother was mentally ill and they compensated us with N500,000. But, when the grandfather of the baby sent us N160,000, I called the orphanage home that I was coming to take the baby back to her parent but couldn’t do that before we were arrested by the police.”

Meanwhile, the third suspect, Jane Aneide, a nanny at the orphanage, said she didn’t know anything about the baby and that her employer only called her that some people were bringing a baby which they should collect.