Police in Ghana’s Upper West Region have arrested a 38-year-old woman for allegedly abducting a one-week-old baby from a market in Wa.
The suspect, Abena Martha Maanibeh, was taken into custody following a five-day manhunt.
The incident occurred last Sunday when the suspect reportedly posed as a caretaker at the Wa Market. She allegedly lured the infant’s mother, Ms. Kwofie Mwinbelle, to purchase diapers before absconding with the child. The suspect also took the mother’s handbag containing a mobile phone, cash and other personal items.
Through coordinated investigative efforts led by the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit, police tracked the suspect to her hideout in the Nuobollie community in the Savannah Region. The baby was safely rescued and reunited with the mother on Friday, with some stolen items recovered.
The suspect appeared before the Wa District Magistrate Court on Monday and has been remanded into custody until September 2. Regional Police Commander DCOP Darko Offei Lomotey reassured the public of the police’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the region.
