Shocking Twist: Mother Was Allegedly Told Her Newborn Baby Had Died — Months Later, Former Housemaid Reportedly Revealed the Child Was Alive
WARRI, DELTA STATE — The Delta State Police Command has reportedly arrested a pastor and her lawyer-husband over allegations surrounding the disappearance of a newborn baby girl, in a case that has taken a dramatic turn following the reported recovery of the child alive.
The suspects were identified as Pastor Mrs. Abigail Igbiaye, popularly referred to as “Mummy Go,” and her husband, Barrister Solomon Igbiaye.
The arrests reportedly followed an investigation initiated after welfare officials raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the baby and the events that allegedly occurred after her birth.
The investigation is being led by police detectives under the supervision of ACP Aliyu Shaba, Area Commander, Uvwie, with the suspects currently reportedly in custody at the Effurun Area Command.
According to information surrounding the investigation, the case involves a young woman from Plateau State who had previously lived in Sapele, Delta State, before returning to her home state.
While in Plateau State, the woman reportedly became pregnant after meeting a man who was allegedly responsible for the pregnancy but subsequently abandoned her.
At approximately five months pregnant, she allegedly met a woman identified as Mary, who reportedly offered to assist her and subsequently brought her to Warri.
Mary allegedly took the pregnant woman to the residence of Pastor Abigail and Barrister Solomon Igbiaye, where the couple reportedly promised to accommodate and care for her until she gave birth.
The woman subsequently delivered a baby girl at Vicar Clinic, No. 4 Maduku Street, Warri.
According to the mother’s account, after the delivery, a nurse reportedly showed her the newborn baby girl.
The mother allegedly saw the child and believed that she had delivered safely. However, she reportedly lost access to the baby shortly afterwards.
The woman later alleged that Mary informed her that the baby had died.
She was reportedly told that the child had been buried, but according to her account, she was never shown the alleged burial location and was not provided with independent evidence confirming the child’s death.
The circumstances reportedly became even more disturbing four days after the delivery.
The mother allegedly said she was abandoned at an uncompleted building around Shaguolo, Ekpan, while she was still recovering from the surgery associated with the delivery.
With no apparent access to her newborn and after being left in the area, she eventually returned to her family in Jos, Plateau State.
For months, the woman reportedly believed that her baby had died.
The case, however, allegedly took a dramatic turn when a former domestic worker identified as Miss Kindness reportedly contacted the woman.
According to information provided in connection with the investigation, Kindness had previously worked in the residence of the couple and was also said to be from northern Nigeria.
She allegedly informed the child’s biological mother that Pastor Abigail and her husband had brought a baby into their home after the mother had left.
The former domestic worker reportedly told the woman that the baby bore a striking resemblance to her and subsequently sent her a photograph of the child.
Upon seeing the photograph, the mother reportedly identified the baby as her daughter.
The alleged revelation prompted renewed efforts to establish what had happened to the child after the mother’s delivery and whether the earlier claim that the baby had died was true.
Police investigations subsequently led to the reported arrest of Pastor Abigail and Barrister Solomon Igbiaye.
The baby girl was also reportedly recovered during the investigation.
The recovery has raised serious questions over the circumstances surrounding the child’s birth, her disappearance from the mother’s care, the alleged information given to the mother about her death, and how the child ultimately came to be in the custody of the suspects.
Investigators are expected to establish the full sequence of events, including the identities and roles of all persons allegedly connected to the child’s movement after birth.
The police investigation is also expected to determine whether the baby was unlawfully taken from her biological mother, how she came into the possession of the suspects, and whether other individuals were involved.
The role allegedly played by Mary is also expected to form part of the investigation, given the account that she was the person who initially brought the pregnant woman to Warri and introduced her to the couple.
At the time of this report, the allegations against the suspects had not been established by a court.
The suspects remain entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until proven guilty according to law.
The reported recovery of the baby nevertheless represents a significant development in a case that began with a mother’s belief that her newborn child had died, only for information months later to allegedly point to the possibility that the child was alive.
The case has also highlighted serious questions about the protection of vulnerable pregnant women, particularly those who may depend on strangers for accommodation, medical assistance or support during pregnancy and childbirth.
The reported efforts of ACP Aliyu Shaba and the investigating detectives have attracted commendation for pursuing the matter and recovering the child while continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case.
Further developments are expected as police investigators continue questioning the suspects and other persons connected with the matter.
The outcome of the investigation is expected to determine the precise circumstances surrounding the child’s disappearance and recovery and whether criminal charges will subsequently be filed against any of the persons involved.
