The Nigerian Police Force has issued a child abduction alert warning citizens of incidences of child abduction. 

The headline on the agency’s website is captioned ”Baby Thieves Are on the Prowl, BEWARE!!!” and two incidences of child abduction in the country, are cited.

The first incident happened in Masaka Town of Nassarawa State where a 1-month-old baby was abducted at Living Faith Church, Goshen City. The mother had handed her baby to an unknown woman for a brief moment, but the woman dissapeared with the child and has not been found since then.

The second incident occured in Umuozuo village in Abia State. A woman is alleged to have stolen a 2-month-old baby boy from his parent’s house while the mother was busy in the kitchen. Luckily the baby thief was caught and the child was handed back to it’s mother.

Losing a child is a traumatic experience that no parent wants to go through. Take note of the following safety tips to reduce the likelihood of your child being abducted;

Younger children

1. Never leave your child alone in a public place, car, or stroller
2. Never ask a stranger to hold your baby, even for an instant
3. Know where your children are, all the time
4. Take a lot of photos of your child and keep them current
5. Choose caregivers e.g. househelps, nannies and childcare providers carefully and check their references.
6. If you’ve arranged for someone to pick up your kids from school or day care, discuss the arrangements beforehand with their school or childcare center

Older children

1. Teach your children techniques to avoid being taken
2. Avoid dressing your kids in clothing with their names on it — children tend to trust adults who know their names. Don’t label their school bags or clothing.
3. Don’t let children go out alone.
4. Know where your children are, and know who they know
5. Pay attention to changes in your child’s behavior
6. Never leave your child alone in a public place
7. Take a lot of photos of your child and keep them current
8. Choose caregivers e.g. househelps, nannies and childcare providers carefully and check their references
9. If you’ve arranged for someone to pick up your kids from school, discuss the arrangements beforehand with your kids and with their school

Have you experienced a case of child abduction in Nigeria? How can we protect our children from being victims of child abduction?