Baby recovered after 10 months

Jun 06, 2009

BABY Daniel Oloya has been re-united with his parents, Lily Atek and her husband John Otim, nearly a year after being stolen from their home in Kanyogoga parish, Gulu municipality.

By Frederick Womakuyu
and Chris Ocowun


BABY Daniel Oloya has been re-united with his parents, Lily Atek and her husband John Otim, nearly a year after being stolen from their home in Kanyogoga parish, Gulu municipality.

The baby’s return follows an order by the Gulu magistrate court on May 13, that the child be returned after DNA tests established that Atek and Otim were the parents.

The court also issued an arrest warrant for Jane Abur, a teacher who was found with the child, whom he claimed was hers.

The baby was snatched from the house where the mother had left him to sleep in August 2008, at the age of three months.

Four months later, a whistle blower disclosed that in another part of Gulu town, a woman, who had not given birth, had a baby who was kept indoors most of the time.

While the Police investigated the matter, the baby was kept at St. Jude orphanage. Atek was able to identify her baby by birth marks on the breast and buttocks. She, however, had to wait for months for the Police investigations, which included a delayed DNA test.

Saturday Vision reported on April 25 that she had been kept waiting because Uganda had run out of DNA testing reagents.

After being returned to his mother, the baby refused to suckle because it had got used to cow milk.

Northern Uganda Regional Police Commander (RPC), PK Arinaitwe, said they had confirmed that Abur did not give birth. “We are charging her with child stealing. She was arrested and released on Police bond. However, she has since gone into hiding,” the office said.

Recently, James Toolit, the husband to Abur, made a statement to the Police disowning the baby. He accused his wife of faking a pregnancy and pretending to have delivered while he was in prison.

He became suspicious on his return from prison when he saw Abur not breastfeeding the baby she claimed to have delivered.

“The first question I asked my wife was where the delivery took place. She said she gave birth from Lacor Hospital. I asked her mother if she attended to her during delivery, but she denied. Abur again told my sister she delivered from Gulu Maternity Home and later that she delivered on her way to Gulu Independent Hospital. Too many contradictions,” Toolit said.

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