An Enugu Magistrate Court has sentenced 23-year-old Rejoice Odoh to three years in prison (rather than six years) after she pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and child stealing
The Enugu State Police Command disclosed this on Thursday, saying the Enugu Magistrate Court convicted Odoh after she pleaded guilty to the offences.
According to the police, the incident occurred on October 20, 2026, at about 9:00 a.m., when Odoh allegedly took the baby from his mother under the guise of helping her carry the child while going to purchase an item from a nearby shop.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, who provided details of the case to journalists in Enugu, said investigations revealed that Odoh had previously posed as a customer to the child’s mother.
Ndukwe said the suspect absconded with the baby, subsequently switched off her phone and conspired with her younger sister, who is currently at large, to present the child to their family members in Ubahu, Nkanu East Local Government Area, as her own.
Acting on a report and intelligence gathered, detectives from the Command’s State Intelligence Department, working with personnel of the Amechi-Idodo Police Division and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group, arrested Odoh and recovered the baby.
The police said the child was recovered at Idume, Amankanu, in Nkanu East LGA, on October 24, 2026, at about 10:30 p.m., and has since been reunited with his parents.
“Upon conclusion of the investigation, the suspect was arraigned before the Enugu Magistrate Court and prosecuted by a police prosecutor from the Legal Section,” Ndukwe said.
He added that Odoh was convicted on October 29, 2026, after pleading guilty and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for conspiracy and another three years for child stealing, with both sentences to run concurrently.
The concurrent sentences mean that she will serve a total of three years in prison, rather than six years consecutively.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, commended the police personnel, members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group and the prosecuting team for their roles in the suspect’s arrest, the recovery of the baby and the conviction.
Giwa also commended the court for the speedy dispensation of justice.
He urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant, prioritise their children’s safety, avoid leaving them in the care of untrusted persons and promptly report missing-child incidents to the police.
