An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has sentenced a 37-year-old woman, Deborah Ayeni, to 14 years’ imprisonment for stealing a newborn baby and subsequently declared her a fugitive after she failed to appear in court.

Justice Lekan Olatawura delivered the judgment on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, after Ayeni’s sureties failed to produce her for the continuation of her trial.

The judge ordered that the sentence would commence immediately upon her arrest. He also directed the court registrar to forward the judgment and a letter declaring her wanted to the Comptroller-General of Customs, the Nigeria Police Force and the media to facilitate her apprehension.

Court Revokes Defendant’s Bail

Ayeni was initially arraigned on September 1, 2025, on a one-count charge of child stealing. She pleaded not guilty to the charge.

She had been granted bail in the sum of ₦2 million, with two sureties required to provide similar sums.

However, the court revoked her bail after she failed to appear for further proceedings.

According to prosecutor Ibironke Odetola, Ayeni claimed she had been kidnapped along the road, an explanation given for her failure to attend court.

How the Newborn Was Allegedly Stolen

The prosecution told the court that the offence occurred on August 4, 2025, in Ado-Ekiti, when Ayeni allegedly took a newborn baby belonging to Mustapher Aliu and his wife, Falmata, without their consent.

Odetola said Ayeni had reportedly lost a pregnancy around May 2025 but concealed the development from her husband, who lives abroad.

According to the prosecutor, Ayeni allegedly told her husband that she was pregnant and approaching delivery. She reportedly used clothes wrapped around her stomach to make it appear that she was expecting a child and invited him to return to Nigeria for the delivery.

The prosecution alleged that she subsequently went to a hospital in the Okeyinmi area of Ado-Ekiti and took the complainants’ newborn baby.

Midwife’s Suspicion Leads to Arrest

The court heard that Ayeni later handed the baby to a midwife for care.

The prosecution said she told her husband that she had buried the placenta when he asked questions about the delivery.

However, the midwife reportedly became suspicious of inconsistencies in Ayeni’s account and alerted the police.

The police subsequently arrested her, and the newborn was rescued alive, according to the prosecution.

Two Sureties Also Sentenced

Justice Olatawura also imposed six-month prison terms on Ayeni’s two sureties, one of whom was her father, Babatope Ebenezer Ayeni.

The court’s decision followed their failure to produce her in court and pay the required recognisance surety fees.

The judge made the order under the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Ekiti State, 2014, as amended.

Court Orders Efforts to Locate Fugitive

The court directed relevant authorities to circulate information concerning Ayeni’s fugitive status to support efforts to locate and apprehend her.

The case highlights the legal consequences of child stealing and the obligations placed on individuals who stand as sureties for defendants granted bail.

Ayeni remains at large, according to the reports, and the 14-year sentence is to take effect upon her apprehension.