The Benue State Police Command has recovered a newborn baby allegedly stolen from his mother at a hospital in Gboko and arrested some suspects linked to the incident.
The command’s spokesperson, Peter Aondongu, confirmed the development on Thursday, saying 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.
The newborn was allegedly stolen only a few hours after being delivered on Tuesday, causing tension among family members, sympathisers and other concerned persons at the hospital.
An eyewitness alleged that the woman suspected of taking the baby had been posing as a nurse at the hospital. According to the witness, the baby initially did not respond immediately after birth but later stabilised following intervention by the nurse on duty.
The mother and baby were subsequently moved to a ward, where the alleged suspect reportedly approached the mother and asked to examine the newborn again.
Believing that she was a nurse, the mother handed the baby to the woman, who allegedly took the newborn towards the labour room. When the baby’s grandmother attempted to follow, she was reportedly asked to step aside and assured that everything was under control.
The woman was later discovered to have disappeared with the newborn, prompting panic and the deployment of security operatives to the hospital.
The police have now confirmed that the baby has been recovered and that some suspects are in custody as investigations continue into the alleged theft and the identities of all those involved.
