The Police Command in Lagos State has announced the dismissal of Inspector Samuel Ukpabio over allegations of baby theft. The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, made the announcement on Thursday via his verified Twitter handle.
The recommendation for Ukpabio’s dismissal was approved on Thursday, paving the way for his prosecution, according to Hundeyin. He further assured the people of Lagos that the State Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa, remains committed to policing the state in accordance with the rule of law, civility, and respect for human life.
The dismissal comes following accusations made by Fortune Obhafuoso, a 35-year-old woman, who claimed that Ukpabio, an officer attached to Panti Division, conspired with others to steal her newborn baby. Obhafuoso, a single mother of three, stated that Ukpabio arrested her, falsely accused her of attempting to sell the baby for N3 million, and coerced her into writing a statement to that effect.
According to Obhafuoso, Ukpabio forcefully took the baby from her and handed him over to an unidentified woman the day after she gave birth on December 22, 2022. She alleged that Ukpabio gave her N185,000 and threatened her not to return for the child, warning that he would arrest her and take away her remaining two children.
Upon reporting the matter to rights activist Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, the Founding Director of Women Advocates, Research, and Documentation Centre, the case was petitioned to security agents for intervention.
