Mrs. Leritshimwa Diyal, the woman who ‘stole’ a baby in
Jos, the capital of Plateau State two weeks ago might be contemplating
suicide. Childless Mrs. Diyal, currently in Police custody told journalists on Thursday, that she stole the baby out of desperation.
“I just need a child to call me mother,” tearfully said the 32year old Medical Student.
Admitting the ‘wrong’ in her actions, the Plateau College of Health
Zawang student said she “Wasn’t thinking straight” when she committed
the crime.
“I wish I don’t survive…I wish I’m dead (sobs)…I wish I’m dead (snorts),” said Mrs. Diyal as she breaks into tears.
This was the third time she was uttering such words since she came
under investigation on May 31, 2019, after a baby was declared missing
in Plateau Specialists hospital, it was learnt.
7yrs married without a child
Mrs. Diyal has been married for seven years without a child.
She is said to have a medical condition that prevents her from conceiving.
In 2018, she had a surgery in her fallopian tube in a bit to conceive, it was gathered.
Shortly after the surgery, the Southern Plateau native reportedly took in but lost the pregnancy due to an undiagnosed fibroid.
Afraid of her husband’s reaction, Mrs. Diyal concealed the truth
about her pregnancy, using her bulged fibroid tummy as cover, said a
family source.
She had assured him that the fallopian tube surgery was the ultimate solution to her infertility.
Failed child adoption moves
When her ‘pregnancy’ was clocking nine months, Mrs. Diyal began making
contacts for a baby to adopt ahead of her expected delivery date.
“I went through orphanages but could not get a baby to adopt,” she
tearfully said when she was paraded before journalists in Jos on
Thursday.
Meanwhile, her husband, Mr. Dunji Diyal, a local Teacher had sent her
N50,000 for “cesarean session” billed for Monday, May 27, 2019.
Faked kidnap
On Sunday, May 26, 2019, Mrs. Diyal left her school home in Jos to
see her Doctor, but never returned, claiming she had been kidnapped.
While negotiations were on for her release, she announced on Tuesday,
May 28, 2019, that she had given birth to a female child in her
kidnappers’ custody.
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| Mrs. Mary Chukwuebuka whose baby was stolen |
On this same day, one Mrs. Mary Chukwuebuka was delivered of a female child at the Plateau Specialists Hospital, Jos.
After a ransom of N400, 000 (about $1,200USD) was jointly paid by
Mrs. Diyal’s husband and parents for her ‘release’, she returned on
Friday, May 31, 2019, with her ‘newborn’ baby.
This was barely an hour after Mrs. Chukwuebuka’s baby was declared missing from the hospital.
‘Broke down’
Police arrested her a few days later; after intelligence showed she stole the baby.
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| Plateau Police CP, Mr. Isaac A. |
“The police got intelligence that a woman by name Leritshimwa Diyal
‘F’ of Zawan in Jos South LGA who claimed to have given birth on the
same 28/05/19 while in the kidnappers’ den took a female child to
Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos for medical examination.
“The Police immediately wrote to the hospital on 03/06/19 for the
hospital to examine her as to whether she gave birth naturally within
the period she so claimed.
“The Police also wrote to Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) on
03/06/19 where she claimed she attended antenatal care so as to confirm
her claim or otherwise.
“Due to the painstaking and diligent investigation coupled with
medical reports, the Police discovered that the suspect, Leritshimwa
Dungjil Diyal has not given birth as she claimed.
“When confronted with this obvious and naked reality, she broke down
and confessed to the commission of the above-mentioned crime,” the
Plateau State Police Commissioner, Isaac Akinmoyede told journalists,
Thursday.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts were on to secure her mother’s bail from custody.
She was arrested alongside Mrs. Diyal’s Doctor for allegedly conspiring to commit the crime.
Mrs. Diyal, however, says she committed the crime alone.
She said, “Let me be prosecuted alone because I am the only one
guilty of the crime,” but the Police Commissioner said the claims were
still being investigated.
First Offender
Mrs. Diyal is expected to be charged to court at the end of investigations.
If found guilty, she could be punished under section 30 subsection
(1) of the Nigerian Child Rights Act and Chapter 34 of the Criminal Code
Act.
However, she might benefit some leniency based on globally recognized mitigating judicial factors.
His Lordship, M.M. Kolo J. on the Nigerian case of COP v Buhari,
cited by Udosen Jacob Idem and Nkokom Eyo Udofia in the Donnish Journal
of Law and Conflict Resolution Vol 4(1) pp. 001-010 of January, 2018
held that some of such considerations include the age of the convict,
first offender status, and admission of guilt.
Conduct of the offender after the commission of a crime and also his
good work record are also factors for consideration, the Nigerian Judge
stated.
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| Mrs. Diyal |
Both Mrs. Diyal’s biological and matrimonial family testify that she is a good person with exemplary habits.
She has also owned up to the crime and appears remorseful with each passing day.