Police arrests three suspects over alleged baby theft in Nasarawa

By Amina Mohammed, Lafia

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The Nasarawa state police command says that three suspects have been arrested in connection to the alleged stealing of a newborn baby from Dalhatu Arab Specialists Hospital Lafia.

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Commissioner of Police in the state CP, Umar Nadada stated this while briefing journalists at the police Headquarters in Lafia, the state capital.

CP Nadada said that the police had commenced a full investigation to unravel those behind the alleged stealing of the baby.

He further called on medical facilities in the state to step up security checks in and out of their facilities.

However, the Nasarawa State government-owned Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia was thrown into confusion especially at the Postnatal Ward of the facility following the disappearance of a baby boy less than three hours after its delivery.

According to the mother Mrs Wasilat Suleiman who gave birth to the baby through a caesarian section at about three o’clock last Tuesday, her baby was taken to an unknown destination by a yet-to-be-identified woman at about six o’clock the same day.

She stated that, “The wife of her husband’s younger brother who was with her at the hospital to give her care requested the woman who they thought was at the facility with a patient to look after the baby so that she could go home and pick up her phone charger only to return to discover that the woman had disappeared with the baby.

“My relation that was looking after me introduced the strange woman she met at the ward to me when she wanted to go home to pick something.

“She told me that the woman would take care of me and the baby before she returned from the house.

“My relations thought that the woman had a patient at the ward and she trusted her to help us before she returned.

“The woman told me that she wanted to bath the baby and disappeared with him.

“I’m in so much pain, but nothing compares to losing my baby, all I want is my baby,” Wasilat cried out.

She, therefore, appealed to the relevant authorities to help her find her baby as she was still going through pain.

Reacting to the incident, the management of DASH regretted this had to happen despite the strict security measures put in place in the facility to protect patients and staff.

The management through the Acting Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Dr. Mohammed Ozegya, said this is the first time a thing like this is happening at the hospital.

He explained that the baby was delivered around 3 a.m. and handed over the relations of the patient before they were transferred to the postnatal ward.

He added that unfortunately, the relations of the patient entrusted a strange woman to look after her sister on account that she wanted to pick something from the house.

He further said that the management had reported the matter to the police immediately and an investigation was ongoing to unravel what happened.

“Already the relations of the mother of the baby has been arrested and some of our staff on duty were invited by the police for questioning,” he added.

He therefore promised that the management would review the CCTV footage with a view of arresting the culprit.

 

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