A woman identified as Hajiya Lanti Danfulani visited a community in Soba Local Government Area of Kaduna State ‘to administer traditional medicine on the sick,’ but ended up allegedly stealing a 10-day-old baby boy. She was also said to have changed the baby’s facial features and renamed him
Barely 10 days after his birth and two days after his naming ceremony, Abdul-Shakur was stolen from his parents. A woman identified as Hajiya Lanti Danfulani allegedly stole the baby boy from his parents in Maitankadi village in Soba Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The suspect was said to have arrived in the village, administering traditional medicine to clients before she allegedly made away with the baby.
Barely 10 days after his birth and two days after his naming ceremony, Abdul-Shakur was stolen from his parents. A woman identified as Hajiya Lanti Danfulani allegedly stole the baby boy from his parents in Maitankadi village in Soba Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The suspect was said to have arrived in the village, administering traditional medicine to clients before she allegedly made away with the baby.
Weekly Trust gathered that Hajiya Lanti after allegedly stealing Abdul-Shakur, relocated to Saminaka in Lere Local Government Area, where she reportedly changed his facial features by administering a tribal mark on his face and re-naming him Hassan.
Hassana Badamasi, the boy’s biological mother, told Weekly Trust that Abdul-Shakur was her eighth child and was discovered missing on May 7, 2013, exactly 10 days after his birth.
She said the little boy was discovered three months after, in another woman’s house in Saminaka.
In Saminaka, it was gathered that Hajiya Lanti, who had left her husband’s house for a long time, surprisingly returned with a male child, claiming she gave birth to twins, but one of them had died.
The biological mother of the baby said “she came to our house claiming that she foresees danger in the life of our new born baby. She then gave me three different traditional medicines that I should bathe with them, burn another one in our room before sleeping and also administer the other one on my child. She said I should not close my door if I want to burn the medicine in my room.
In Saminaka, it was gathered that Hajiya Lanti, who had left her husband’s house for a long time, surprisingly returned with a male child, claiming she gave birth to twins, but one of them had died.
The biological mother of the baby said “she came to our house claiming that she foresees danger in the life of our new born baby. She then gave me three different traditional medicines that I should bathe with them, burn another one in our room before sleeping and also administer the other one on my child. She said I should not close my door if I want to burn the medicine in my room.
“At about 7pm when she gave me the medicine, I did not use it as she said until the evening of the next day. I fell asleep at about 8pm and when I woke up, I could not find my child,” Hassana said.
Hassana continued: “his father was not even at home. There were no clothes on him, because he had urinated and because of the deep sleep I fell into, I removed his clothes without replacing it with another before he was stolen. I came out of the room shouting that I can’t find my child and my co-wife came out of her room to ask what the problem was, I told her I can’t find my child. In few minutes, people gathered and informed our traditional ruler about what happened and he asked everyone in the community to pray about it.”
Weekly Trust gathered that few months later, there were rumours in the community that a woman in Saminaka who used to visit Maitankadi village, administering traditional medicine, may likely be the one who stole the child.
“Some members of our community went to Saminaka to investigate. They discovered that the woman who always visited our community to give out traditional medicine was with the child. They asked her about the owner of the child, she replied that the child was hers. But people in her community (Saminaka) said they are not aware about the time she gave birth. They collected the child and gave it to our people,” Hassana said, adding that “the woman went wild, insisting that it was her child and that she gave birth to him in another community.”
It was further learnt that when the child was brought to Hassana after his retrieval from the suspected thief, three months after, she looked at the child for several hours before recognizing him, because of the second tribal mark on his face given to him by Hajiya Lanti.
“The woman, Hajiya Lanti had given my son another tribal mark and a name. This is the mark we gave him and here is the one she gave him,” Hassana said, pointing at the mark.
Hajiya Lanti, who allegedly stole the baby, admitted that she gave out traditional medicine to Hassana (mother of the child), adding that she took the baby with the consent of his father who owed her N20, 000 in connection with traditional medicine she gave him.
Hassana continued: “his father was not even at home. There were no clothes on him, because he had urinated and because of the deep sleep I fell into, I removed his clothes without replacing it with another before he was stolen. I came out of the room shouting that I can’t find my child and my co-wife came out of her room to ask what the problem was, I told her I can’t find my child. In few minutes, people gathered and informed our traditional ruler about what happened and he asked everyone in the community to pray about it.”
Weekly Trust gathered that few months later, there were rumours in the community that a woman in Saminaka who used to visit Maitankadi village, administering traditional medicine, may likely be the one who stole the child.
“Some members of our community went to Saminaka to investigate. They discovered that the woman who always visited our community to give out traditional medicine was with the child. They asked her about the owner of the child, she replied that the child was hers. But people in her community (Saminaka) said they are not aware about the time she gave birth. They collected the child and gave it to our people,” Hassana said, adding that “the woman went wild, insisting that it was her child and that she gave birth to him in another community.”
It was further learnt that when the child was brought to Hassana after his retrieval from the suspected thief, three months after, she looked at the child for several hours before recognizing him, because of the second tribal mark on his face given to him by Hajiya Lanti.
“The woman, Hajiya Lanti had given my son another tribal mark and a name. This is the mark we gave him and here is the one she gave him,” Hassana said, pointing at the mark.
Hajiya Lanti, who allegedly stole the baby, admitted that she gave out traditional medicine to Hassana (mother of the child), adding that she took the baby with the consent of his father who owed her N20, 000 in connection with traditional medicine she gave him.
“I visited the community to condole with them over the death of an old woman, when I met with the father of the child and he promised to give me N20,000 to give him traditional medicine. He said a night before the boy was born, he (the father) heard strange movement at the back of his house and was suspecting a foul play,” Lanti said.
“But I encouraged him to pray. I did not go back that day. He asked me to take the child away, because he was scared that something might happen. When I reached the house, he told me that the naming of the child was conducted yesterday, but that I should wait till the following day. I came back and carried the child and left on a motorcycle,” Hajiya Lanti said.
Hajiya Lanti, Weekly Trust learnt, had lied to her husband Danfulani that she gave birth to twins while she was away, claiming that one died, so that she could keep the stolen baby.
“I left his house with pregnancy, but I lost it. I told my husband that the child was his so that he can allow me stay in his house. I even told him that doctors said the child should not drink ordinary water except bottled water and we named him Hassan and gave him a tribal mark to tally with that of my husband’s relations. Few months later, I was called by some people who asked me about the owner of the child. I told them the child was mine because of the agreement I’ve had with the father in Maitangadi village,” she said.
“They said we should go to my house so that they will see the child. When we reached my house, before I could talk, one of them forcefully collected the child from my hands,” she said.
Kaduna Police spokesman Aminu Lawan said the police were contacted at Saminaka concerning a missing child. “The police commenced investigations and she was traced. The mother of the baby claimed she fell asleep when the baby was stolen and we commenced investigation”.
“The woman who allegedly stole the baby said she carried the baby with the consent of the father. The father of the child, however, denied the allegation, saying he never gave out his new born baby to any person for whatever reasons.
“I am not in the picture of what she is saying,” the father of the stolen baby said.
“We are still investigating, because there is yet another child and she claims to be the biological mother. As soon as we finish, she will be charged to court,” Lawan added.
“We are still investigating, because there is yet another child and she claims to be the biological mother. As soon as we finish, she will be charged to court,” Lawan added.
Source: Weekly Trust
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