A 1-year-and-6-month-old baby was abducted on Sunday, August 2, 2026, after a stranger befriended the child’s mother at Uyo Plaza in Akwa Ibom State and later lured her away at gunpoint. The incident, which has sparked outrage in the community, unfolded over several hours and ended with the mother being forced to part with her child in another state.
According to a statement from the mother of the children, Idoroenyin Sunday, she had gone to Uyo Plaza on a routine outing with her toddler. While she was having fun with her son, a woman, described as a stranger, approached her, struck up a conversation, and began playing with the baby. The two reportedly spent time together at the plaza, with the suspect appearing friendly and attentive to the child in an effort to gain the mother’s trust.
During their discussion, the conversation shifted to domestic help. The suspect told the mother of the missing child that she needed reliable house help. Idorenyin responded that she could not offer her that and she didn’t have contact to share either.
The suspect convinced her to believe the offer was genuine; the mother agreed to follow the woman to a nearby park to continue the discussion away from the crowd at the plaza. It was at the park that the situation took a dangerous turn.
Idorenyin said the suspect then convinced her to enter a vehicle to meet the house help agent. “I was unconscious, and I didn’t realise anything; it was as if she dropped a spell on me,” she added. “It was there that I later found myself in another state,”.
Along the journey, the suspect allegedly brought out a gun and threatened the mother. At gunpoint, the woman was forced to surrender her baby before the suspect drove off with the child to an unknown destination. The mother was later abandoned and managed to alert authorities.
The matter was immediately reported to the Akwa Ibom State Police Command through Abia State Police Command. A family member who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “We are devastated. She only went out for a few hours and came back without her baby. We are pleading with anyone who has information to come forward.” The mother is currently receiving support from family and counsellors as investigations continue.
Police officers at the Plaza Unit, Akwa Ibom State, confirmed that a case of child abduction has been opened and that detectives are working with security agencies in neighbouring states to track the suspect and rescue the child. “We have launched a manhunt, and we are following credible leads,” the police said. “We urge members of the public to be vigilant and to report any suspicious movement of children to the nearest police station.”
The abduction has renewed concerns about the tactics used by child traffickers in public spaces across Nigeria. Community leaders in Uyo are calling for increased security in markets and plazas, and for parents to be cautious of strangers who offer assistance or employment opportunities. The police have released a hotline for tips and are asking anyone who saw the pair at Uyo Plaza or along the route on August 2 to contact the command immediately.
