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An apprentice identified as Temitope (surname withheld), has reportedly disappeared with the three-month-old baby of her master in Ondo town, headquarters of Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State Nigerian Tribune reports. 

The lady, who was introduced to the fashion designing business by the husband of her master last December, disappeared with her master’s baby last Saturday, January 2, 2021. 

The apprentice was said to have reported for work on the second day of the year and helped to put the baby, identified as Gold, on her back after the mother had bathed her. 

The apprentice, however, disappeared and refused to return home after she was sent to withdraw money from the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) from a nearby bank. 

It was gathered that Temitope left her handset at the shop while she also removed her two SIM cards so she had been unreachable since then. 

Narrating the incident, the mother of the missing baby girl, Mrs Stella Babatunde, explained that the apprentice was brought to her shop by her husband, Wasiu Mamukuyomi, who introduced her as his friend’s wife. 

She said she, however, noted that her husband was always on phone with the apprentice, which made her suspected that the lady might be having an affair with her husband. 

Mrs Babatunde said: “My husband brought the lady to me on December 3, 2020, to train her in tailoring, but I noticed that the lady and my husband usually communicate on the phone whenever we were together in the shop.”

“On Saturday, January 2, 2021, the lady came to the shop as usual. After bathing my baby girl that afternoon, she took permission from me to put the baby on her back.”

“I later gave her my ATM card to withdraw N3,000 from my account as the money was transferred to me by one of my customers, but she never returned.”

She explained that “after disappearing with my baby, I put a call to my husband several times to inform him about the incident, but my husband never picked my calls.”

“He was almost lynched by a mob when he returned home from work and did not show concern for the missing baby. The mob dragged him to the Enuowa police station in Ondo, where he confessed that the lady in question was his girlfriend.”

“He also confessed that he was the one who rented a room apartment for her at Eweje area of Yaba, Ondo, but denied knowing anything about the disappearance of the child.” 

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Tee Leo Ikoro, said detectives from the command had swung into action and were already on the trail of the suspect. 

He said that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Bolaji Salami, had ordered an investigation into the matter, adding that the suspect would be arrested soon.