Deborah Ayeni Sentenced to 14 Years for Child Stealing

On October 7, 2026, Deborah Ayeni, a 37-year-old woman, was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment by the Ekiti State High Court in Ado-Ekiti for child stealing. The sentence was handed down by Justice Lekan Olatawura in absentia after Ayeni's surety failed to produce her in court.

The prosecution, led by Ibironke Odetola, had presented four witnesses during the trial. Justice Olatawura ordered that the court registrar notify the Comptroller General of Customs, the Nigeria Police, and the media to declare Ayeni a fugitive.

The sentence will commence upon her apprehension. Additionally, the judge imposed a six-month imprisonment on her two sureties, including her father, Mr Babatope Ebenezer Ayeni, for not fulfilling their obligations.

Ayeni had pleaded not guilty to the charge of child stealing during her arraignment on September 1, 2025. The incident occurred on August 4, 2025, when she unlawfully took a newborn baby from Mustapher Aliu and his wife, Falmata.