Lira, Uganda | Police in Lira City Central Division have commenced investigations into a suspected case of child stealing after a one-month-old baby was allegedly taken by an unknown woman during a fellowship at Mayor’s Garden over the weekend.
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at around 5:00 p.m., and was later reported to police on Sunday afternoon by the child’s mother, Atim Gloria, 32, a resident of Starch Factory Cell in Lira City East Division.
According to preliminary findings, Atim had gone to Mayor’s Garden to attend a fellowship.
While at the venue, she was approached by a woman who offered to help carry her baby so she could freely participate in the worship session.
Atim handed over her one-month-and-thirteen-day-old child, identified as Opio Job, to the woman.
However, upon returning to retrieve her baby, the woman was nowhere to be seen.
Efforts by Atim and other participants to trace her were unsuccessful.
Announcements made over the public address system at the venue also yielded no results, prompting the mother to report the matter to police the next day.
Police officers visited the scene, recorded statements from witnesses, and confirmed that the baby had been seen at the event before disappearing.
Authorities have since launched a manhunt for the suspect and plan to circulate the information on local radio stations to aid in her arrest.
North Kyoga Regional Police Spokesperson, SP Patrick Jimmy Okema, confirmed the incident and said a case file of child stealing has been opened at Lira City Central Division.
He noted that efforts are ongoing to trace the suspect and recover the child.
Okema appealed to members of the public with any information regarding the suspect’s whereabouts to contact the nearest police station, adding that child stealing is a serious crime that will be dealt with firmly under the law.