This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
On a typical Monday morning, Merina Andala and her husband Thodosia Ngala left for work, unaware that their two-year-old son Giovanni Hinzano was being kidnapped by their trusted nanny. The nanny, a 21-year-old Ugandan woman, had been caring for the child since he was six months old and had earned the family's trust.
However, on that fateful morning, the nanny's behavior seemed suspicious. She had woken up unusually early, prepared the child's porridge, and even received a phone call in her native language. But these warning signs went unnoticed by the family.
It wasn't until Andala's friend arrived at the house to pick something up that the family realized something was amiss. The nanny's phone was off, and the door was locked. Andala's instincts told her that something was wrong, and she quickly rushed home.
Upon arriving at the house, Andala noticed that the family car was missing, and a search revealed that the nanny's belongings and some of the child's clothes and toys were also gone. The family quickly reported the incident to the police, and it wasn't until several hours later that they received a call from the Buruburu OCS informing them that the nanny and the child had been intercepted at the Malaba border.
Andala and her husband rushed to Malaba, where they were reunited with their son. The nanny and her accomplice were arrested and will face charges of child trafficking, kidnapping, and car theft. The incident has left Andala shaken and has made her reconsider hiring a nanny in the future.
According to the Buruburu Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the police had suspected that the nanny might try to flee to Uganda and had coordinated with police at the border to track their movements. The quick response of the police ensured that the child was safely recovered.
