By: Ohanele Casca.
Wonders they say, shall never end. A middle aged woman was nabbed at Naze, Owerri-North LGA on the 6th of August, 2012 at about 5.30pm, as she attempted to steal a 5-month-old baby, named Munachiso. The woman who refused to identify herself was given the beaten of her life by an angry mob, who complained of incessant abduction and child stealing in the area in recent times.
Narrating the incident to Imo Trumpeta, the mother of the little baby, Mrs Grace Onyeanu, a housewife, recounted that she was at the kitchen cooking while her daughter was sleeping in the room, when her sister in-law called her attention to a woman who entered her room and carried her daughter. According to her, “my baby was sleeping in the room so I went to the kitchen to cook. Suddenly I heard my sister in-inlaw shouting, Grace come oh! Come and see if you know this woman. I rushed out and was shocked to see this strange woman carrying my baby. I quickly collected Munachiso from her and raised alarm. The woman started pleading, asking if I don’t know her. As people gathered, she could not explain her mission. Some of the people identified her as the same woman who was arrested late last year in the village for the same offence. As she tried to escape, the people descended on her before the police came to rescue and took her away” she said.
Collaborating Mrs Onyeanu’s account, Mr Agim Junior, who is the head of the family added that the incident is a big shock to them. He expressed fear that the woman be not be properly sanctioned. She pleaded to the Imo State Commissioner of Police to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that justice is done.
According to some eye witnesses who spoke to Imo Trumpeta on condition of anonymity, the woman in question was also caught in a similar case in the village sometime late last year but was saved by one of the village leaders, Chief Egwuji who made the woman to swear to an oath not to come to the village again. The chief pleaded to the youths to allow her go. The eye witness added that some of the items which included baby wears, baby carriers and wrappers in a traveling bag which the woman came with during her last year attempt at stealing a child in Naze were still in Chief Egwuji’s house.
When Imo Trumpeta visited Chief Egwuji house to get his reaction before going to press, the medium was informed that the chief was not in town. The angry mob threatened that if the police and the chief did not do anything to get to the roots of the matter, they will be forced to take the laws into their hands.
When Trumpeta visited the Police Public Relations Office at the State Police Headquarter, Owerri, next day to confirm if the matter has been brought to their attention, the PPRO, Mr Vitalis Onugu, said he has not been officially briefed on such matter by the Owerri-North Division or any other division. He asked that we call back later in the day on any development on the matter. At about 6.13pm on Tuesday when we called him on phone, he informed that he has received situation reports of incidents in many divisions including Owerri North but that no case of attempted child stealing in Naze was in the official signal.
