Married woman jailed five years for baby theft

The Asamankese Circuit Court in the Eastern Region has jailed a 24-year-old woman to five years imprisonment for faking pregnancy for nine months and presenting a three-day-old stolen baby as her newborn.

The convicted woman Nancy Yeboah, hails from Boadua in Akwatia but relocated to stay with her husband in Accra while the victim stays in Boadua community.

The Prosecution Officer Chief Inspector Susan Nyric narrated to the court that three months ago the accused as part of her plan to steal the baby of then-pregnant woman, also dressed as a pregnant woman and visited her mother-in-law in the Boadua community claiming she was seven(7) months pregnant so she came to prepare for her delivery.

She later told neighbours around that her delivery date may coincide with that of the victim who was then heavily pregnant.

She however said she will deliver in the house because it is taboo in her family to deliver at the hospital.

The convict Nancy Yeboah, subsequently used an unknown mobile phone number to call the victim under the disguised that she was a philanthropist willing to assist her take care of her baby when she delivers.

On April 27, 2021, at about 5:00pm the victim alleged to be mentally ill delivered a bouncing baby boy at St. Dominic’s Hospital in Akwatia and was discharged the next day.

On April 29, 2021, the convict called the victim on phone under false pretence and promised to visit her and present some gifts.

The convict-Nancy Yeboah wore beanie hat and nose mask to conceal her identity, visited the nursing mother few minutes to midnight under disguise as the philanthropist who had been calling the nursing mother on phone.

She presented some gift items in a polythene bag to the nursing mother and asked that she gave her a place to sleep since it was late in the night which the nursing mother out of appreciation obliged.

The nursing mother decided to inform her Auntie about the arrival of the alleged philanthropist but she told her to stop and make it the next morning instead.

She then deceived the nursing mother to go into her car parked at the Presbyterian Church premises which is quite a long distance from the house, to pick other items she bought for her but there was no car parked there when the nursing mother got there.

The victim quickly stole the three-day-old baby into her room, mixed beef with colour in a polythene bag as a placenta, and disguised as if she had delivered a baby boy.

The convict gave the fake placenta to one Anthony Akakpo to bury for her.

The Nursing mother returned to notice with shock that her baby was missing from the bed. she raised alarm but to no avail.

A Formal complaint was made at the Police station by the husband of the victim which Police visited the house to commence investigation.

Other tenants in the house including the convict were interrogated but all denied knowledge of the whereabouts of the baby.

She swore heaven and earth that she also delivered a baby that night.

Police investigators became suspicious of her conduct, arrested her, and asked that she followed them to the hospital for medical examination.

Out of fear, the convict began to confess. The alleged placenta was exhumed and after careful examination was found to be beef soaked red colour.

She was taken to the police station and detained after her caution statement was taken, later charged with child stealing.

She was sentenced on her own plea of guilty by the court presided by His Honour Ababakari Abass Adams.

It was revealed that the convict is married for five months and without a child.