POLICE RECOVER STOLEN NEWBORN BABY, ARREST SUSPECTS IN BENUE
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By; Aina Daniel
The Benue State Police Command has arrested several suspects in connection with the alleged theft of a newborn baby in Gboko Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s spokesperson, Peter Aondongu, confirmed the development in a telephone interview on Thursday, saying the baby had been successfully recovered.
He said some of the suspects had been transferred to the state police headquarters in Makurdi, while others remained in custody at the Gboko Divisional Police Station.
“I can confirm to you that some suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of a newborn baby in Gboko on Tuesday.
“Some of the suspects were earlier transferred to the state headquarters in Makurdi, while other suspects are in police custody at Gboko Division right now,” Aondongu said.
The newborn was reportedly taken from his mother at a hospital in Gboko, just hours after delivery on Tuesday.
The incident reportedly caused tension at the hospital, prompting the deployment of security personnel to maintain order as family members and sympathisers gathered at the facility.
According to an eyewitness, the alleged suspect had been monitoring the baby’s mother while posing as a nurse at the hospital.
The witness said the baby initially did not respond immediately after birth, prompting the nurse on duty to intervene before the newborn eventually became responsive.
The mother and baby were subsequently moved to a ward for further observation.
Shortly afterwards, a woman allegedly posing as a nurse approached the mother and requested to examine the baby.
Believing that she was a member of the hospital staff, the mother reportedly handed the newborn to her.
The woman then allegedly took the baby towards the labour room, telling the child’s grandmother to remain outside and assuring her that everything was under control.
The grandmother reportedly complied, but the woman later disappeared with the baby.
The eyewitness said, “Immediately after the baby was born, the infant did not cry as expected. The nurse on duty reportedly intervened, and the newborn eventually responded normally.
“Thereafter, both the mother and the baby were taken to a ward. Not long after, an alleged child trafficker approached the mother of the newborn under the pretence of being one of the nurses.
“The suspect claimed they wanted to check the baby once again. The trafficker then took the baby from the mother and headed toward the labour room.”
The witness added that the grandmother became suspicious and followed them to the labour room but was asked to step back and assured that the situation was under control.
The woman subsequently disappeared with the newborn.
During the search for the child, nurses on duty reportedly denied taking the baby from the ward and maintained that the woman who allegedly posed as a nurse was not part of the hospital’s staff.
The police have commenced further investigation into the incident, while efforts are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the baby’s disappearance and identify all those involved.
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