‘I stole 12-month-old baby because I needed twins’

Philip is the second baby rescued from Salisu. Police believe he was also stolen

Salisu with Philip and her lover, Akinwale

Hajia Zainab Salisu, who stole 12-month-old Feyitola Lawal right under her mother’s nose at the Abule-Egba area of Lagos State, two weeks ago, has given reasons for her action.

Aside from Feyitola, Police also rescued a baby boy from Salisu’s home.
Salisu had already changed Feyitola’s name to Kehinde; while she renamed the baby boy Taiye. The boy’s real name however is Philip.
She admitted stealing Feyitola, but denied stealing Philip. She insisted that Philip is the son of her brother. Police believed Philip was stolen. The police are presenting trying to locate her ‘supposed brother.’
Salisu claimed that her brother handed Philip to her after his wife died.
She explained that she stole Feyitola because she wanted to provide twins to her lover, Saheed Akinwale, 42.
Akinwale is a married man, with three kids.
Salisu said she was pregnant but later had miscarriage when she pregnancy was six months, but because she wanted to have a baby for Akinwale, she pretended she was still pregnant.
One day, she told Akinwale that she wanted to go over to USA and have the baby. She told him that scan already showed that she was carrying twins.
Akinwale gave her N250, 000 as his support to her travel arrangement.
On the day she was supposed to leave for USA, Akinwale took her to the airport.
She said: “Immediately he dropped me at the airport and drove off, I went back home. I live at Sango-Ota.”
Keeping to the game, Salisu started calling Akinwale with private number, to show she was in USA.
Almost a year later; she ‘returned from USA’ with a baby boy and girl.
She called them Kehinde (Feyitola) and Taiye (Philip). She presented the babies to Akinwale as his.
Akinwale bought the story hook, line and sinker until Tuesday when he received a call from a policeman.
Akinwale said: “I’m a mechanic. The policeman said someone came to the station to report me that he was having with a car I fixed. I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, I told them that I would be coming to the station. They told me to meet them at Ogba Police Station on Wednesday. When I was leaving for the station, I innocently asked Zenab to follow me. I didn’t know she was the one policemen actually wanted. When we got there, they arrested both of us. It was there I heard the stories of the stolen child. I didn’t know anything about this crime.
“Sometime in October, she called me that she was back and that she had delivered a set of twins for me. She told me she landed in Abuja and that she would bring them to Lagos to see me. Although I am married with kids, I kept Zainab as my other family. I never knew they were not our kids until the police arrested us yesterday.”
Salisu said that Akinwale was a victim of circumstance, adding: “I stole Feyitola, but I didn’t steal Philip. He’s my brother’s son. Philip’s mum died and my brother wanted to give away the baby. I told him to give him to me so that I could raise him as my own. I told Akinwale that I had twins for him. It was a lie. I didn’t want him to find out I was lying. So, I decided to steal Feyitola and pass off her and Philip as my twins. I needed two kids to be able to carry it out. I wanted to make Feyitola mine.”
Unknown to Salisu, the police had been tracking, her using the Close Circuit Television (CCTV) of Justrite Stores, where she was last seen in the company of Mrs. Lawal and her baby, Feyitola.  
Salisu further said: "I did not steal the baby. Feyisola's mother is my friend. I went to their house on May 14 and when she left to get something, I carried her baby and left. Since I switched the SIM card in my phone, they couldn't reach me.”
Feyitonla’s elated mum, Mrs. Damilola Lawal denied Salisu claims they are friends.
Lawal said:  "I don't know her from anywhere; she came to my shop claiming to be a supplier of eggs and would love to supply us with some. I agreed. Later, she claimed she was new in the area and needed a new place of worship and my mother-in-law took her to our church, Christ Apostolic Church. She followed us to church. It was only now we know she’s a Muslim. After service, she followed us home to use the convenience. She later stayed for lunch and then she said she wanted to buy some souvenirs. I took her to Justrite Stores at Agege, but she ended up not buying anything. When we were leaving, she offered to assist in carrying my daughter. We mounted two different motorbikes and when we got to the bus stop, her motorbike carried her farther. By the time I walked down to that place, she had disappeared."
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police, said the arrest was based solely on intelligence-driven investigation.
Badmos said: “On May 16, 2016, Feyitola Lawal, a 12-month-old baby, was stolen from her mother at Abule Egba two weeks ago. The journey for the arrest started from Itoken in Ogun State. Zainab Salisu pretended to be a buyer and cleverly sent the mother of the baby to Justrite and bolted with her baby. The case was reported to all the divisions in Abule Egba and she was tracked down and the baby was recovered from her custody. 
 "Also seen in her custody was a seven-month old baby (Philip), whom she couldn’t give account. But we suspects Philip was stolen.  Parents should be wary of all friends that can't be traced because most of them come under the criminal disguise of friendships."