A newborn baby boy has been stolen from a hospital in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, triggering a police investigation and heightened tension at the medical facility.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday at a Family Healthcare Centre in Gboko, shortly after the infant was delivered. According to accounts gathered at the scene, the baby did not cry immediately after birth, prompting a nurse on duty to intervene. The newborn eventually responded normally, and both mother and child were moved to a ward for further care.
A woman subsequently approached the mother, identifying herself as a nurse who needed to examine the baby again. She collected the infant and walked toward the labour room. The baby’s grandmother, suspicious of the interaction, followed the woman and positioned herself at the labour room entrance. She was allegedly instructed to step back and assured that everything was under control. Moments later, the woman vanished with the child.
Nurses on duty denied sending any colleague to retrieve the newborn, stating the individual who posed as a staff member was not part of their team. The development sparked an outcry, drawing family members, sympathisers, and other concerned individuals to the hospital premises. Security operatives were deployed to maintain order and prevent a breakdown of law and order.
The Benue State Police Command confirmed the abduction on Wednesday. Police Public Relations Officer DSP Peter Aondongu told journalists in Makurdi that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for a thorough probe. He noted the matter was being moved to Makurdi due to the public attention it had generated, adding that further details would be released once the investigation yields more concrete information.
Authorities have yet to identify the suspect or locate the infant. The mother remains distraught as the search continues.
