Benue: Police recover abducted newborn baby, arrest suspects

The Benue State Police Command has recovered a newborn baby who was allegedly taken from his mother at a healthcare facility in Gboko Local Government Area.

Some suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Aondona, confirmed the development to journalists on Thursday, stating that the baby was recovered in the early hours of the day.

Aondona explained that the matter was first reported at the A Division Police Station in Gboko before being transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

“Yesterday (Wednesday) in the midnight, we recovered the baby and the baby is at the division now,” Aondona said.

He further disclosed that arrests had been made in connection with the incident, although the police spokesman said the exact number of suspects would be made public later.

DAILY POST recalls that the baby was reportedly born on Tuesday, August 11, at a healthcare facility in Gboko but was allegedly taken from his mother only a few hours after delivery.

According to reports, the newborn initially failed to cry after birth, prompting a nurse to attend to him and stabilise his condition. He was later moved to a ward alongside his mother.

It was gathered that a woman who allegedly posed as a nurse approached the mother and asked to examine the newborn. Believing that the woman was a hospital staff member, the mother reportedly handed the baby over to her.

The woman allegedly carried the child towards the labour room, but the family later realised that the newborn was no longer there. The incident reportedly created confusion at the healthcare facility and prompted the deployment of security personnel.

The police have yet to reveal the identities of those arrested or the total number of suspects in custody as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction.

The recovered baby has since been reunited with his mother.