Gyang Bere, Jos
A suspected child trafficker who disguised herself as a medical doctor has stolen a 3-day-old baby girl, Gift Chukwuebuka, at Plateau Specialist Hospital Jos, Plateau State.
The 30-year-old mother of the baby, Mary Chukwuebuka, who spoke to journalists in Jos on Wednesday said the baby was taken away from her on Friday May 31, 2019, three days after birth by a lady who disguised as a medical personnel working in the hospital.
Mrs. Chukwuebuka said the lady, who dressed in a lab coat came straight to her bed in the hospital and requested to carry the baby to children’s ward for blood sample.
The mother, at first resisted and said a doctor just left them after cross examination but did not mention that the baby was sick or there was a need to run a test.
The lady insisted that she was directed by the doctor to carry the child to children’s ward for blood sample, and she willingly released the baby on an account that she was a medical personnel working in the hospital.
Mrs. Chukwuebuka said she came to the hospital on Monday, May 28, and gave birth on Tuesday May 29, at about 4:47am while the baby was stolen on Friday, May 31, 2019.
“I came to the hospital on Monday to deliver my baby; I have been coming for antenatal and the day I came, I was due for delivery. The doctor asked me to go to Gyne emergency but I told him that I needed to go home first and pick my things because I had nobody at home, and he permitted me to go and come back and I did.
“When I came back, I was induced for several hours and I gave birth on Tuesday in the morning at about 3:47am after severe bleeding. I was told that I would undergo blood transfusion and my husband was not around; I had to call my mother to go and look for money.
“Later, we got a donor but his blood group was not the same with my own, and he left. A nurse now agreed to help, and she got some blood packs for us and the transfusion was done on Wednesday, Thursday; it finished on Friday morning.
“I was hoping that I would be discharged on Friday but the doctor said I would be given another blood transfusion but I said I was okay; I didn’t have money to continue with the blood transfusion.
“The doctor came in the evening and said that they would run another test but I told him that I was not given any form in respect to that, so he left the ward.
“At about 6:19am, another lady came and moved straight to my bed and asked where the baby was. I show her the baby, and she said, she would take the baby to the children’s ward for blood sample but I refused, but she insisted, so I released the baby to her on the grounds that she was a medical staff.
“After sometime I had the cry of the baby and I thought they were taken the blood sample but they couldn’t return the baby. I asked my mother to go to the children’s ward but the baby was not there; then I stood up and started looking for the baby; I inform the management of the hospital and they informed the police. Since then I have not seen my baby.”
Mrs Chukwuebuka noted that the matter was reported to the police but she had not received any concrete explanation from the police and the hospital management.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Plateau Specialist Hospital Dr. Philemon Golwa said the management contacted the police immediately they were informed of the incident.
Dr. Golwa added that the hospital could not disclosed anything at the moment until the police completed their investigation and promised that every step was being taken to recover the baby.
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Matthias Tyopev said the police had commenced investigations into the matter with a view to tracking the suspect.