…As Police nets 3 teachers, over alleged examination malpractice***

Mrs. Leritshimwa Diyal, the 32-year-old woman, who confessed to stealing a three-day-old baby in Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos has said that the desire to have a child, who would call her mother, pushed her into committing the crime.

Diyal, a student of College of Health Technology, Zawan, in Plateau, made the confession while speaking with newsmen when she was paraded by the Plateau Police Command on Thursday in Jos.

Recall that the baby belonging to one Mrs. Mary Chukwuebuka of Zaramangada area of Jos, was stolen three days after she put to bed at the Plateau Specialist Hospital.

When the matter was reported to the headquarters of the Plateau Police Command in Jos, it immediately swung into action which led to the arrest of the suspect.

Also read:  Jos: Hospital hands over stolen baby to biological parents

Diyal, before her arrest, had claimed that she gave birth at a kidnappers’ den.

She also claimed that she registered for antenatal care at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).

“I have been married for over seven years without a child; the desire to have one pushed me into stealing another woman’s child.

“My husband and I have sought for medical attention to ascertain the reason for our childlessness, but to no avail.

“I have contacted many orphanages to adopt a child, but none granted me the opportunity, that is why I resorted to stealing.

“I regret this desperation. I wasn’t thinking straight when I stole the baby. I plead that justice be tempered with mercy,” she pleaded.

Diyal also told journalists that she carried out the act without the knowledge of her husband.

Mr Isaac Akinmoyede, the Police Commissioner in Plateau, attributed the timely arrest of Diyal to the “painstaking and diligent investigation” by his officers and men.

He explained that Diyal perfected her plans and leveraged on her deep knowledge of the terrain of the hospital, where she once undertook her industrial attachment, to steal the baby.

Akinmoyede said that she had faked her kidnap story thinking it would give her a strong alibi to have the baby, but that when she was confronted with realities, she confessed to stealing the baby.

“Currently, the command is investigating her claim that she committed the crime alone,” Akinmoyede said, stressing that the case would be charged to court immediately the investigation was concluded.

The police command also paraded one Ismaila Oladipo, a staff of Moulds Nigeria Limited, who allegedly killed one Patience Musa at his residence, on May 31.

“The command is also investigation the alleged killing; the suspect will be charged to court as soon as possible,” he said.

In another development, Police on Thursday said they had arrested four suspects, including a minor, over alleged malpractice in the 2019 May/June examination conducted by West African Examination Council (WAEC).

The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba, told newsmen in Abuja that the suspects were teachers, and gave their names as Darlington Ibuokanma, 36; Earnest Kelechi, 33; Godstime Onuoha, 35 and a minor, Uche Chukwuma, 17.

Mba said that the suspects were arrested and investigated for their roles in the facilitation of examination malpractices in the examination.

According to him, the suspects were caught transmitting answers to questions of various subjects in the examination through the use of smart phones.

The spokesman said that the style of malpractice adopted by the suspects reflected some of the challenges associated with the growing use of the social media.

“We find this very disturbing because teachers are supposed to help in nurturing students and be custodians of the highest level of ethics in the educational system.

“They are supposed to play lead role in making sure that persons who are issued certificates are indeed deserving of the honour that goes with it,” he said.

He, however, stated that the Police had evolved new measures for monitoring students as well as invigilators and supervisors during external examinations.

Mba said that the idea was to ensure that examination malpractices were reduced to its minimum to restore the integrity of certificates issued by examination bodies.

He said the suspects would be charged to court appropriately for “diligent prosecution’’.

On his part, Mr Yusuf Ari, Director of Administration, Nigeria National Office of WAEC, commended the police for the proactive and close collaboration with the examination body.

He said that the major challenge of examination bodies across the world was malpractice which undermined the integrity of certificates issued by the organisations.

According to Art, if the integrity of examinations is compromised, the certificates issued to candidates that sat for the examination cannot be guaranteed.

He said that WAEC had taken steps ahead of persons engage in examination malpractice as the malpractices “have gone digital with the advent of mobile phone’’.