Police Dismiss, Set To Prosecute Inspector Who Paid N185,000 To Take Newborn From Mother

Eko Hot Blog reports that the Nigeria Police Force has dismissed an Inspector, Samuel Ukpabio, for being involved in a scheme to seize a newborn from his mother.

The Lagos State Police Command had recommended the inspector for dismissal after it was reported in January that he connived with an unknown government “ministry” to seize the baby in December 2022.

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In a terse statement Thursday evening, the police spokesperson in Lagos, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said Ukpabio’s dismissal from the force paves the way for his prosecution.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP 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,” the statement reads.

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

Background

In January, Punch reported the story of a mother of three, Fortune Obhafuoso, including her failed plan to make her life better through surrogacy, and other risky episodes that culminated in Ukpabio allegedly conniving with yet-to-be-identified persons to pay her N185,000 after collecting her newborn against her will.

Fortune Obhafuoso, 35, had relocated her family to Lagos State from Benin, Edo State, to be a surrogate mother but things did not go as planned.

Before giving birth to the baby in Lagos, she had a deal with an agent identified as Tosin, whom she met on Facebook, to give up the baby for adoption.

However, after she gave birth to the baby, the dismissed police inspector arrested her, seized her newborn, and took her to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos, where he allegedly forced her to write a statement that she wanted to sell her baby for N3 million.

Obhafuoso said after the baby was taken, Ukpabio threatened her never to return for the child.

Afterward, she was conciliated with N15,000 and thrown out.

“All I want is my baby; I gave birth to him around 12.30am on Friday, December 23, 2022, and immediately named him Joseph. I only breastfed him once because, on the same day I gave birth to him, I was arrested and taken alongside my three children to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos State,” she said.

“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.

“Ukpabio warned me never to return to the station; he said if I returned, my remaining two children would also be taken away.”

The 35-year-old said the cop dictated how she wrote the statement, adding that he ignored her pleas that she never demanded money for her baby.

She explained that Ukpabio, while interrogating her at the SCID, said one of the two women with them was from a state ministry, adding that the other woman, who wanted to adopt the baby, was arrested, detained, and brought out of a cell to facilitate her arrest.

After much pressure by the mother, the former police officer requested her account number, saying the unknown “ministry” would send her something.

Obhafuoso added that on Monday, December 26, she received a credit alert of N170,000 in her account.

“I quickly called Ukpabio to ask what the money was for but he did not say anything. I also told him that if the money was for my baby, I don’t want it as I am not selling my baby. He later said the money was for me to take care of myself,” she said.