…AS ARMY DECLARES HER WANTED
By Okosun Dennis
A two-year-old baby girl, identified as Lamuye Kaziah, has been stolen by a “Point of Sale” (POS) operator at the Arena Complex, Ikeja Cantonment after the mother voluntarily permitted the culprit to go out with the victim to buy her popcorn.
Before absconding with her on Tuesday, 29th October 2024, the 21 years old culprit from Imo State, identified as Miss Ifeoma Onuoha, was said to have clandestinely played a mind game on the mother, leveraging on the customer relationship to hoodwink her without the least suspicion of disappearing with the baby.
It was gathered that Ifeoma took the baby and his 13 years old elder brother under the permission of the mother to Arena Complex, where she cajoled the boy to wait with a Hausa seller “Aboki” to enable her to buy needed items; unknown to the boy that she was making away with his sister. Having waited long enough, he reported to the mother that she couldn’t find the suspect and his sister.
However, before whisking Kaziah away, the suspect also, surreptitiously, stole from his former employer’s younger brother, N19,000 and an iPhone RX as well as N110,000 from a neighbour at Arena Complex.
Before the heinous crime, Ifeoma was said to be carrying out her POS business, and once lived with her boyfriend, Friday, who was a dismissed gardener.
Explaining the circumstances that led to the elopement of his daughter, the father, Corporal Taiwo Lamuye, a serving soldier who spoke to our correspondent on the phone said the wife left the baby with Ifeoma Onuoha based on trust but amazingly got stabbed in the back.
It was further gathered that before the ugly incident, the suspect was once employed by one Israel Onyema in November 2023 as a sales girl, but was relieved in January 2024 when sales dwindled after Christmas and New Year before she ventured into POS while she used his shop as a rendezvous.
Our investigation revealed that soon after the news of the disappearance of the baby broke, Military Police swung into action by inviting the former employer: Israel Onyema, his younger brother, Kelvin Onyema, a friend to the suspect, Miss Adama Blessing and the leader of the block she was allegedly resided, Mr. Onwubuya Jones, who is a staff of the Ministry of Defence.
Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to arrest her and rescue the baby.
“I Employed Ifeoma Onuoha as Sales Girl” – Israel Onyema
Describing the 21 years old Ifeoma Onuoha’s disposition as looking innocent that doesn’t have the capacity to hurt a fly, Israel who employed her as a sales girl in November 2023 to assist during Christmas sales, said he was nonplussed to hear that she eloped with an innocent little girl, Kaziah.
“Since I was not always in Lagos, she carried out sales with my younger brother, Kelvin Onyema. When sales nosedived after the New Year, I told her to get something else to do hence she started POS business and hair dressing.
However, Israel continued, “On Tuesday morning when I heard that she went with my neighbour’s N110,000 and my brother’s iPhone, I was rushing to the Security post to report the theft before I was called to the military Police Duty Room that she also eloped with a two years old baby.
“Ifeoma Called me Wicked” – Adama Blessing, a friend
On her part, Miss Adama Blessing denied knowledge prior to the elopement. She explained that she was neither involved nor aware of her friend’s dubious plan to abscond with the baby. Adding that “Ifeoma called me the previous day that she was denied entrance at the gate and when I failed to respond, she later called to say I’m a “wicked person.”
“All I knew about her was we do business at Arena Complex. Our friendship was casual. When I heard about what she did, I was pleasantly surprised that she could do such a heinous thing – running away with someone’s daughter who trusted her so much,” she reiterated.
Onwubuya Jones, block leader speaks
She was living with her boyfriend, Friday. From the list of persons in our block, she is not listed as a bonafide resident.
Onwubuya further explained, “At a point, Friday left his work and travelled abroad a few months ago. We are surprised that on Tuesday she eloped with a soldier’s daughter of two years old.
Also speaking with our correspondent, Maria Illiya, a friend of the mother of the victim explained, “She is not a soldier’s daughter nor related to a soldier. I urge the military authority to carry out a comprehensive investigation.
A friend of the suspect’s mother revealed that when her house, where she claimed to be living was visited, it was discovered that she had parked out of the house two months ago just as she stopped working as a sales girl early this year but engaged in POS business at the Arena Complex.
Meanwhile, Ifeoma Onuoha has been declared wanted by the military authority.
About The Author
