A newborn baby who was allegedly stolen from Divisional Hospital in Gboko shortly after birth has been officially handed over to the real mother following the arrest of a suspect in the case.
Social media posts circulating on Thursday showed the mother holding her child, with visible relief and joy on her face. The infant, wrapped in a green and pink patterned cloth, appeared healthy in the accompanying photographs.
According to reports, the suspect remains in custody at the Benue State Police Command, A Division in Gboko, pending the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (State CID) for further investigation.
The development has been widely attributed to the role of social media in amplifying the initial alert about the missing child and assisting security operatives in tracking the suspect, who was earlier arrested in Adekaa, Gboko Local Government Area after travelling from Tarka on a commercial motorcycle. About nine other persons were also reported to have been detained in connection with the broader investigation.
Authorities continue to urge the public to allow the police to complete their inquiries into the incident.
