Police have arrested a woman for allegedly st3aling a newborn baby from his mother at a healthcare centre in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.

The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, shortly after the baby was delivered and taken with his mother to a ward for further care.

According to reports, the newborn initially did not cry after birth, prompting a nurse on duty to intervene before the baby eventually responded normally. The mother and child were subsequently moved to a ward.

However, a woman allegedly approached the mother, claiming to be a nurse who wanted to examine the baby again. She reportedly collected the newborn and headed towards the labour room.

The baby’s grandmother, who reportedly became suspicious, followed the woman to the entrance of the labour room. She was allegedly asked to step back and assured that everything was under control.

The woman reportedly disappeared with the baby shortly afterwards.

Activist Zege Orkwande, who confirmed the development on Thursday, said the suspected child trafficker was tracked and arrested at Adekaa, Gboko.

He said:

“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.”

The spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Peter Aondongu, also confirmed the incident to journalists in Makurdi on Wednesday night.

Aondongu said the case occurred at a Family Healthcare Centre in Gboko and had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Makurdi for further investigation.

However, the police spokesperson had not independently confirmed the reported arrest of the woman as of the time of filing the report.

Investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the baby’s disappearance and identify everyone involved.