Kevin Pepple
The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Police Command has declared that it recovered a two-month-old baby stolen from his school in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The FCT Police Commissioner, Olatunji Disu, yesterday returned the baby to his mother, pointing out that this was made possible through the deployment of technology.
The Commissioner revealed that the matter which came to the fore recently was linked to one Blessing Okoi as the prime suspect, based on her Complicity in the case
Disu stated further that the incident started on October 31, when one Miss Lydia Jonah Gabriel reported the disappearance of her four-year-old son, Hope Evans, from Community Primary School Azubie in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to school officials, an unidentified woman, later identified as Blessing Okoi, lured Hope away from the school premises at about 1:28.pm by using biscuits and boiled egg as a bait.
The woman who had no links whatsoever with the school management, nor known by the school, escaped with the vulnerable Hope unnoticed.
Reports also revealed that the child disappearance was known later in the day when the child’s family started looking
Miss Lydia Jonah, alongside family members visited the school to gather more information about the whereabouts of the child.
According to the family, the woman who to kidnapped Hope was known locally as “Destiny’s mum.” As they proceeded to the residence of Destiny, the family learned that the suspect had hurriedly vacated the premises on the same night, October 31.
The FCT Police boss explained further details: “On November 1, 2024, the family revisited the school and spoke with the Headmaster. Several students identified the woman as Destiny’s mother, prompting the family to report the matter to the Trans Amadi Police Station.
“The case was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.
On suspicion that the suspect may have escaped to Abuja, the younger sister of the victim’s mother came to report the matter at the FCT Police Command where the FCT Police Command Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu ordered immediate investigation.
“Following a detailed investigation, police tracked the movements of the suspect, Blessing Okoi, to Maraba, Abuja. After over two weeks of persistent efforts, she was arrested on November 29, 2024, at approximately 8:00.pm, and the four years old Hope Evans was rescued after over two months of abduction.
“During questioning, Blessing Okoi initially claimed to be Hope’s biological mother, referring to him as “David Evans.”
“However, her claims were inconsistent with information provided by the victim’s mother, who confirmed that her son’s name was Hope Evans; she further presented recent photographs of Hope as evidence of their relationship.
“The suspect, Blessing Okoi, confirmed that she actually changed the boy’s name to David and has started calling him so.
“Investigation revealed that the Suspect Blessing Okoi convinced his former lover named Evans that he was the father of the abducted young man. That was the result of the pregnancy he had for him some years back . The boyfriend accepted the boy as his own.
“Another twist to the case was that the suspect was found with another young boy whom she claimed was hers but that the father had died.”
“The FCT command contacted the mother who arrived in Abuja on December 6, 2024. The Joy of the mother and son knows no bounds as they saw eye to eye after two months and were subsequently reunited in the office of the Commissioner of Police.”
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