A newborn baby boy has allegedly been abducted from a healthcare facility in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State after a woman reportedly posed as a nurse and took the child from his mother.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, according to information gathered by our correspondent.
The baby was reportedly taken to a ward with his mother for post-delivery care after he initially failed to cry following birth. A nurse on duty was said to have intervened, after which the baby responded and appeared stable.
While the mother and baby were in the ward, a woman allegedly approached them and identified herself as a nurse. She reportedly told the mother that the newborn needed another examination before taking him towards the labour room.
The baby’s grandmother, who reportedly became suspicious, followed the woman and waited near the entrance of the labour room.
The woman allegedly asked the grandmother to move away, assuring her that there was no cause for concern. The grandmother reportedly complied, but the suspect subsequently disappeared with the baby.
Nurses at the facility later denied having collected the newborn, saying the woman who allegedly took the child was not a member of their staff.
The incident reportedly caused panic at the facility, as the baby’s relatives and other concerned individuals gathered to support the mother and search for the missing child.
Security personnel were also deployed to the healthcare facility to maintain order.
Confirming the incident on Wednesday night, the Police Public Relations Officer in Benue State, DSP Peter Aondongu, said the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID.
Aondongu told journalists in Makurdi that the incident occurred at a healthcare centre in Gboko but was transferred to the SCID in Makurdi because of the level of attention it had attracted.
He said the police would provide further information as investigators establish more facts about the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the newborn.
