Thursday, August 13, 2026 - Police have arrested a woman for allegedly stealing a newborn baby in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.
The incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday at a healthcare centre
after the baby was taken to a ward with his mother for further care following
his delivery.
Activist Zege Orkwande, who confirmed the development on Thursday, said
the suspected child trafficker
was arrested at Adekaa in Gboko.
“Following good intel, she was tracked through Okada from Tarka LGA and
arrested in Gboko. Meanwhile, about nine (9) persons were arrested and detained
at Benue State Police Command, Makurdi,” he added.
According to Daily Trust, the baby did not cry immediately after birth,
prompting a nurse on duty to intervene before the newborn eventually responded
normally.
Consequently, the mother and baby were moved to a ward, but a woman
allegedly approached the mother, claiming to be a nurse who wanted to examine
the baby again.
The woman allegedly collected the newborn from his mother and headed
towards the labour room while the baby’s grandmother, sensing something was
wrong, reportedly followed the woman and stood at the entrance of the labour
room.
However, she was allegedly asked to step back and was assured that
everything was under control, prompting her to comply.
The woman was said to have disappeared with the baby shortly
afterwards.
The spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Peter Aondongu,
confirmed the incident to journalists in Makurdi on Wednesday night.
Aondongu said the matter had been transferred to the State Criminal
Investigation Department (SCID) for further probing.
He said the case happened at a Family Healthcare centre in Gboko but was
being transferred to Makurdi for further investigation.
The PPRO has not confirmed the arrest of the suspect.
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