The mother of a three-week-old baby that was forcefully snatched from her, Glory Yusuf, has appealed to the relevant authorities to help her in bringing to justice her boyfriend, who is a Naval rating, Moses Joseph, for allegedly throwing the baby into the lagoon.
Yusuf made the appeal following a case of kidnap of her three-weeks-old baby girl by hoodlums allegedly sponsored by Joseph, who is attached to the Naval Base, Apapa.
Yusuf, who wept profusely, alleged that Joseph sponsored the hoodlums, who raided her house on February 2, 2012 and kidnapped her baby, Happiness.
Joseph is also alleged to have thrown Baby Happiness into the lagoon at Liverpool, Apapa, after the hoodlums brought the baby to him.
Yusuf narrates her story: “I met Joseph last year. He was a next door neighbour to my elder sister and we started dating. Later in the year, he came to me that he wanted to marry me and we went to see my family members in Lagos. He even bought some drinks and said it was introduction. Later, I became pregnant and I told him but he said I must abort my four-months-old pregnancy but I refused.
“I started seeing another version of Joseph after I refused to terminate the pregnancy. Last year, I saw a woman with two children in Joseph’s house. When I asked him, he said they were his late brother’s children and wife. It was later I discovered that the woman is his wife and the children are his. I left the barracks where I was staying and moved to Boundary at Ajegunle. But before I left he told me that he will not be responsible for my pregnancy which I did not mind.”
According to Glory, Joseph trailed her to her apartment at Boundary and beat her up mercilessly after he found out that she had given birth to a baby girl. She went on: “I went through a lot to take care of myself during the pregnancy and my family members were supporting me. So after I gave birth to the baby on January 13, Joseph trailed me to the house at Boundary and he forced me to hand over the baby to him. I refused and he started beating me up. It was neighbours who saved me from his hands. As if that was not enough, he came back the next day and demanded for the baby. But I refused. He slapped me in the face and I fainted. He tried to take the baby away but my neighbours stopped him and hid the baby.
“I called my mother to come from the village after I regained consciousness. That was how on the 2nd of February by 3am hoodlums, numbering eight, stormed my house, beat me and my mother up. Two of them were holding guns while the others had broken bottles and sharp objects, which they used on me and my mother. I hid my baby but they searched for her and grabbed her from me and ran away. I ran after them, shouting. That was when I saw Joseph on a bike parked ahead at the street. I called out to him to bring my baby. I saw their faces very well because there was light but Joseph refused. I made calls to his phones but he did not answer.”
Glory and her sister, Mama Victory, later reported the incident to the police and the Navy authority at the Navy Barracks, Satellite Town. Joseph was arrested and he confessed that he took the baby from the hoodlums that fateful day and placed her inside a cartoon, which he threw into the lagoon at Liverpool area of the state early that morning.
It was gathered that the Navy authority arrested two of the hoodlums who attacked Glory, her mother and kidnapped her daughter.
The case was transferred to the Homicide Department at Panti, Yaba. Two of the hoodlums are in police custody but Joseph is said to be in the custody of the Navy.
Yusuf added: “I want justice for my dead baby. I want the Navy to hand over Joseph to the police for prosecution. It has been more than three weeks now and they said they are investigating him. So I am calling on the Navy authority to bring Joseph to book. They should hand him over to the police for killing my baby as he has caused me great pains.”
