A woman accused of stealing a newborn baby from a healthcare facility in Gboko, Benue State, has been charged to court and remanded in custody after her application for bail was refused.
The incident occurred in mid-August when a newborn boy was taken from his mother shortly after delivery at a facility in Gboko. The woman, reported as the principal suspect, allegedly posed as a nurse, collected the infant under the pretence of further examination, and left the premises with the child. The baby was later recovered by police and reunited with the mother. Several other people were also arrested in connection with the case.
The suspect was transferred to the Gender Unit of the Benue State Police Command in Makurdi. Authorities obtained a court order that allowed her to be held for 14 days while investigations continued.
Her lawyer, Barrister Mark Luper, later presented a letter of production from the court requiring the police to produce the woman. She was accordingly charged in court. During the proceedings, her counsel applied for bail, but the court declined the request. She was ordered to be remanded at Yaikyor Prison pending the continuation of her prosecution.
The case remains before the courts as investigations into the circumstances of the baby’s theft and the roles of those involved proceed.
