A suspected baby trafficker has been arrested in Gboko, Benue State, after allegedly stealing a newborn baby from a hospital shortly after the child was delivered.
Benue-based human rights activist, Zege ‘Orkwande Sughnen, disclosed this on Wednesday, following the incident at the Comprehensive Health Centre, Gboko.
According to information shared with the activist, a woman who was not a patient at the hospital had followed another woman who came to the facility to give birth.
“She continued following the woman, so the nurses on duty also thought she was with her. She was following her up and down in the hospital,” the source stated.
The source said that after the nurses had attended to the woman in labour and returned to their station, the suspected trafficker remained around the facility with other women who had also come for delivery.
However, at about 4am, the woman allegedly entered the ward and left with the newborn child.
“So around 4:00am, she went into the ward and moved away with the little child the woman delivered,” the source said.
The incident was subsequently reported to security agencies, while efforts were launched to locate the suspect and recover the missing baby.
The suspected trafficker was reportedly arrested at Adekaa in Gboko Local Government Area.
The activist said the suspect was tracked following credible intelligence and was traced to Gboko through Okada from Tarka Local Government Area.
“You remember the child that got stolen at Divisional Hospital Gboko few minutes after birth? The child trafficker was arrested at Adekaa, Gboko LGA,” he stated.
He added that about nine other persons had also been arrested and detained at the Benue State Police Command in Makurdi in connection with the investigation.
“Maybe she can link us to many other children that got missing in Gboko recently,” the activist added.
