A newborn baby boy has reportedly been abducted from a healthcare facility in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State after a woman allegedly posed as a nurse and took the child from his mother.
The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Tuesday while the mother and her newborn were receiving post-delivery care at the facility.
According to sources, the baby initially failed to cry after birth, prompting a nurse to intervene. The child later responded and was said to be stable before being moved with his mother to a ward.
While they were in the ward, a woman allegedly approached the mother, identified herself as a nurse and claimed she needed to conduct another examination on the newborn.
The woman reportedly took the baby and headed towards the labour room.
The child’s grandmother, who became suspicious, followed her and waited outside the labour room. However, the woman allegedly asked her to leave, assuring her that everything was fine.
The grandmother reportedly complied, only for the woman to disappear with the baby.
Staff at the facility later allegedly told the family that the woman was not one of their nurses and had no authority to take the newborn.
The incident reportedly triggered panic at the healthcare facility, with relatives and concerned individuals gathering to support the distressed family. Security personnel were subsequently deployed to the area to maintain order.
Confirming the incident on Wednesday night, the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Aondongu, said the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Makurdi.
Aondongu said the incident occurred at a healthcare centre in Gboko but was transferred to Makurdi because of the attention it had attracted.
The police spokesman added that further details would be released as investigators establish the circumstances surrounding the newborn’s disappearance.
