Deborah Ayeni Declared Wanted After Sureties Fail to Produce Her in Court
An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has sentenced 37-year-old Deborah Ayeni to 14 years’ imprisonment for child stealing and declared her a fugitive after she failed to appear in court.
Justice Lekan Olatawura handed down the sentence in absentia after Ayeni’s sureties failed to produce her following the testimony of four prosecution witnesses.
The judge directed the court registrar to forward the judgment and a letter to the Comptroller-General of Customs, the Nigeria Police and the media for Ayeni’s apprehension. He ordered that the sentence should commence immediately upon her arrest.
The court also sentenced Ayeni’s two sureties, including her father, Babatope Ebenezer Ayeni, to six months’ imprisonment for failing to produce her and pay the required recognisance fees.
Ayeni had pleaded not guilty when she was arraigned on September 1, 2025, on a one-count charge of child stealing.
Prosecutor Ibironke Odetola told the court that Ayeni allegedly stole a newborn baby from Mustapher Aliu and his wife, Falmata, in Ado-Ekiti on August 4, 2025.
The prosecution said Ayeni had allegedly lost a pregnancy but deceived her husband, who lives abroad, into believing she was expecting a baby. She allegedly stole the child from a hospital and handed the baby to a midwife for care.
The midwife reportedly noticed inconsistencies in Ayeni’s account and alerted the police, leading to her arrest. The child was later rescued alive.
Ayeni was initially granted bail of N2 million with two sureties in the same amount but subsequently failed to appear in court. She reportedly told her lawyer that she had been kidnapped while travelling.
The offence was prosecuted under Section 292 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.