Stolen newborn recovered in Benue, police arrest suspects after ‘nurse’ abducts baby

The police in Benue State have recovered a newborn baby boy allegedly stolen shortly after delivery at the Divisional Hospital in Gboko Local Government Area of the state.

The baby was reportedly taken in the early hours of Tuesday by a woman who disguised herself as a nurse and approached the mother under the pretext of taking the newborn for further medical care.

The incident had sparked concern in Gboko, with residents and security agencies launching efforts to locate the missing child.

However, Police Public Relations Officer in Benue State, DSP Peter Aondongu, confirmed on Thursday that the baby had been recovered and reunited with his mother at Police ‘A’ Division in Gboko.

Aondongu also disclosed that several suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident.

According to him, some of the suspects are being detained in Gboko, while others have been transferred to the state Police Command headquarters in Makurdi.

He said the exact number of suspects in custody could not yet be confirmed, pending further information from the police division in Gboko.

The police spokesperson added that more details would be made available as the investigation progresses.

Meanwhile, residents of Gboko said the baby was recovered on Wednesday night following a police operation in the Adekaa area of the town.

According to the residents, a suspected child trafficker was arrested after security operatives acted on intelligence that led them to the suspect, who had allegedly travelled by motorcycle from Tarka Local Government Area.

The recovery of the newborn is expected to help investigators unravel how the baby was allegedly stolen and determine whether those arrested are connected to other cases involving missing or stolen children in the area.

Police authorities are expected to provide further updates as investigations continue.