Woman arrested at Wa market for stealing one-week-old baby

A 38-year-old woman, Abena Martha Maanibeh, has been arrested by the Upper West Regional Police Command for allegedly stealing a one-week-old baby and valuables from the baby’s mother at the Wa market, also known as Kejetia.

As stated in a police statement released in Wa on Monday, August 18, 2025, the incident occurred on August 10, 2025.

The suspect, impersonating a caretaker at the Wa Regional Hospital, allegedly tricked the complainant, Ms Kwofie Mwinibelle, into buying baby diapers at the market, then disappeared with the infant and a handbag containing a mobile phone, cash, and other personal belongings.

The Upper West Regional Police Commander, DCOP Darko Offei Lomotey, signed a statement indicating that officers from the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit, led by ASP Madam Stella Atukwia, tracked and apprehended the suspect on August 15, 2025, at her hideout in the Nuobollie community in the Savannah Region.

The baby was rescued unharmed and reunited with the mother, while some of the stolen items were also retrieved.

The suspect was subsequently arraigned before the Wa District Magistrate Court on Monday, August 18, 2025, and has been remanded into custody, pending reappearance on September 2, 2025.

The Command urged residents to remain vigilant and pledged to continue protecting lives and property across the region.