Newborn baby stolen three hours after delivery in Nasarawa

Aborn at about 3: 00 a. m., on Tuesday, has been reported stolen by a yetto- be identified woman at the postnatal ward of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital ( DASH), Lafia, Nasarawa State.

The mother of the baby, Wosilat Suleiman, who spoke to journalists at the hospital yesterday, said her child was stolen at about 6: 00 a. m., on Tuesday, January 9.

She explained that she gave birth to the baby boy through Caesarean Section ( CS) at about 3: 00 a. m., the same day.

“My relative, who was taking care of me during the delivery, wanted to pick something from the house. So, she introduced to me a woman, who I am not familiar with, to take care of me pending her return. She told me that the woman would take care of me and the baby before she returns from the house.

“My relative, who concluded that the woman had a patient at the ward, trusted her to help us before she returned. While at the postnatal ward, the woman gave me the impression that she wanted to bathe the baby and disappeared with it,” she said.

Suleiman appealed to relevant authorities to help her find her baby.

Reacting, the management of DASH regretted the incident, saying: “Despite the strict security measures put in place in the facility to protect patients and staff, the ugly incident happened.”

The management, through the Acting Head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Mohammed Salihu, said the incident was the first of its kind at the hospital.

He said the baby was delivered at about 3: 00 a. m., and handed over to the relative of the patient before they were transferred to the postnatal ward.

Salihu added that unfortunately, the relative trusted a stranger to look after her sister when she went to pick something from the house.

He said that the management had reported the matter to the police and investigation was ongoing to unravel what happened.

“Already, the relative of the mother of the baby has been arrested and some of our staff on duty were invited by the police for questioning,” he added.

Salihu promised that the management would review the Closed- Circuit Television ( CCTV) footage, with a view to arresting the culprit.