Following a PUNCH investigation, police in Lagos dismiss a cop connected to a missing child.

The Lagos State Police Command announced on Thursday that the errant officer had been fired, six months after a story by The PUNCH detailed the ordeal of Fortune Obhafuoso, a mother of three, at the hands of Inspector Samuel Ukpabio, who she accused of forcibly taking her newborn, Joseph, and settling with her for N185,000.

In a phone call with our correspondent, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the state police public relations officer, verified the development and added that when Ukpabio was fired from the force, he will face legal charges.

He said, “The recommendation for the dismissal of Inspector Samuel Ukpabio has been approved. This automatically paves the way for his prosecution.

“The Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, assures Lagosians of his unwavering determination to police the state within the dictates of rule of law, civility and respect for human life.”

On Friday, December 23, 2022, the day after Obhafuoso gave birth to her child, Ukpabio, a police officer with the State Criminal Investigation Department, detained her.

The policeman then drove her and her three children to the state’s Yaba police station, where she was suspected of trying to sell the baby, a charge she vigorously denied.

Obhafuoso claimed that Ukpabio kidnapped her infant by force and gave him to an unnamed woman from a state government ministry during questioning.

The officer then paid her N15,000, escorted her and her two remaining children out of the police line, and issued a warning before she tried to claim her baby again.

Following her repeated requests for the child from the irate mother, Ukpabio handed her another N170,000.

“The last time I saw my newborn was at the SCID, where a policeman, Samuel Ukpabio, connived with people who pretended to help me and stole my baby. All I want is my baby,” the 35-year-old told our correspondent in a special report published on Friday, January 6, 2023.

Contacted to get his reaction to Obhafuoso’s allegations a day before the special report was published, Ukpabio said the government had taken over the baby.

“They wanted to sell a baby for N3m and that is baby trafficking. The child is in the orphanage home with the government. The person that wants to buy the child is now in Kirikiri (Prison),” Ukpabio said.

Asked about the N170,000 sent to Obhafuoso, the policeman said, “When things happen like that, instead of them going and messing up themselves, they would do something for you so that you can establish yourself so you won’t be in that form again. So, the amount sent to her was to take care of herself.”

Asked why he released Obhafuoso as he claimed she wanted to sell her baby for N3m which is an offence, Ukpabio said, “She has two other children; they wanted to collect them from her because she can’t take care of them and she started crying and pleading and because of the way she pleaded, she was released instead of taking to the Kirikiri (Prison).”

When he hung up the phone, Ukpabio declined to say the name of the ministry, the orphanage facility, or where the money came from.

However, our correspondent informed the PPRO and the Officer-in-Charge of the SCID, Waheed Ayilara, about the errant cop’s antics on the same day Ukpabio was contacted for a response to the aggrieved mother’s allegations in an effort to find the whereabouts of the baby and to ensure that Ukpabio and his accomplices were arrested.

In his reaction to Punch correspondent’s revelation about Ukpabio’s illicit acts, Ayilara said, “You have given me a very detailed story. I need to look into this, I will get the person involved and do all necessary things that I ought to do professionally and will get you duly informed through the PPRO.”

The PPRO in a reaction later that same day, said, “The said officer (Ukpabio) has been taken into custody and investigation has commenced.”

The PPRO announced the arrest of two female suspects connected to the missing infant after Ukpabio was taken into custody.

“Both of them (female suspects) have not denied collecting the baby but we still don’t know where the baby is. We are still working and by the end of tomorrow, we should be able to tell where they took the baby to. So, we have a total of three people in detention now; the inspector, and the two ladies,” the PPRO said.

Till date, the whereabouts of the baby had remained unknown.

Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, the founding director of the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, responded to the development by asking security agents to investigate the situation while also assisting in finding the baby’s whereabouts.

She said, “It’s a complicated case; we are concerned about the life and security of a day-old baby taken away from her (Obhafuoso) and also the complicity of the police in this matter. We call on the government and law enforcement agents to ensure that this case is properly adjudicated upon; where is the baby?”

A rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), also said it was not enough for the police to claim that Ukpabio had been arrested, adding that he should be charged and “must produce the child.”