Two nurses and a female soldier have been arrested in Akamkpa Local Government Area for allegedly stealing and selling a newborn baby boy, police confirmed.
The incident came to light after 19-year-old Justina Valentine Boniface of Aningeje village raised an alarm. Boniface, who delivered her baby on August 12 at the Primary Health Centre, Aningeje, where she had registered for antenatal care, alleged that the theft occurred while she slept.
“I delivered a baby boy on Aug. 12 at the Primary Health Centre, Aningeje,” Boniface said. “While I slept at night after delivery, two nurses on duty, identified as Ndifon Nelly Ekpu, 45, and Obi Mary Baken, 38, conspired to steal the baby.”
Boniface further stated that the nurses falsely claimed her child had died and was buried within the facility. Doubting their story, she reported the matter to the police, who uncovered the deception.
Police investigations led to the arrest of the two nurses, Ndifon Nelly Ekpu and Obi Mary Baken, who confessed to selling the baby to W/Sgt. Aisha Yakubu, a serving member of the Nigerian Army. Yakubu was also apprehended.
Authorities are actively working to locate the final recipient of the stolen child and recover the baby, with investigations ongoing.