Maj. Gen. Daniel Justin, the Spokesperson of South Sudan National Police Service, Tuesday 9th Aug 2022. Credit: Charles Wote/Eye Radio.

Police in Juba are investigating two young women for attempting to steal a seven-month-old boy at a nightclub in Juba over the weekend.

According to the Police Spokesperson, the two suspects and the mother of the child were partying in one of the clubs on Sunday where the baby went missing.

Maj. Gen. Daniel Justin said the suspects later brought the baby to Jebel police station claiming the mother abandoned the child at a nightclub and went away.

He adds that the suspects were arrested on Monday after the mother identified only as Sandra reported the incident to the police.

“They [women] went to a night club, the mother and the other two girls, they met at a night club I don’t know what happened there we are investigating now,” Daniel said.

“The two women brought the child to the police that they got the child at the night club in the disco place so they don’t know the mother,” he said.

“We took the child and initiated an investigation and then the child was taken to an orphanage centre. In the morning, the mother came and reported to the police that her child was taken by two girls.”

“We had contact with the two young ladies and they were arrested now the case is being investigated and the child is handed back to the mother. Now what happened during the disco or nightclub, this is what we are investigating.”

Meanwhile, the mother of the rescued baby says the suspect stole the child from her on Monday in the afternoon.

The 22-year-old mother who preferred to be identified only as Sandra says she heads an entertainment group called Extreme Dancers where the suspects had requested to be part of the group.

According to her, they were in a nightclub on Sunday till midnight together with the suspect before the baby went missing.

She spoke to Eye Radio after being reunited with her baby.

“She [suspect] told me that she wants to join our group [Extreme Dancers] I accepted her then we went home, we were tired after dancing. So, we slept,” Sandra said.

“We woke up at 12 pm but at 1 pm, I went and brought the food we ate together with that girl then we finished.”

“She went with the baby. She went at 2 pm up to now, they are bringing him [baby] now since yesterday [Monday] at lunchtime.”

As of this year, Saint Claire, an orphanage centre in Juba has received three children rescued from suspected abductors and six others who were abandoned by their mothers after delivery.

This brings a total to 120 orphans being cared for at Saint Claire orphanage centre in Juba.

Betty Thomas, a social worker and founder of Saint Claire orphanage, however, is advising parents not to abandon their children.

She is however encouraging those who cannot afford to take care of their babies to seek advice from the Ministry of Gender for guidance.

“If you don’t want the child, go to the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare go to them and say I cannot afford to take care of the baby,” said Betty.

“Some parents are like that we have like three cases where some families brought us children like that and we managed to take the children from these families and the children are with us. Both of the parents died, they were staying with the uncles.”

“They went to the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare that we cannot afford to take care of those children and we received, they are now okay they are studying. Let people not dump the children on the street it is not good.”

In December last year, a woman was arrested in Yirol, Lakes State for allegedly stealing a one-month-old baby girl in a saloon in Juba.