The Rivers State Police Command has uncovered an alleged child trafficking operation at a hospital in Port Harcourt, leading to the arrest of the facility's medical director and other suspects.
According to police authorities, operatives of the Force Intelligence Department raided the facility on June 12 following intelligence reports suggesting criminal activities were being carried out at the hospital.
The investigation was reportedly triggered after several women raised concerns over the hospital's claims that the babies they delivered there had died shortly after birth. Suspecting foul play, the police deployed undercover operatives to gather evidence.
According to investigators, the operation exposed a disturbing scheme in which newborn babies allegedly delivered at the facility were secretly removed and trafficked, while their mothers were falsely informed that the infants had died during childbirth.
During the raid, officers reportedly discovered an embalmed infant stored in a bucket inside the office of the hospital's medical director, 66-year-old Elizabeth Obot.
Police alleged that the preserved body was used to deceive mothers into believing it was their deceased child. Investigators further claimed that the body was occasionally rented out to other trafficking networks or women seeking to fake the death of a newborn.
Speaking during interrogation, Obot, who police said was operating without a valid medical licence, admitted to keeping the deceased infant but denied engaging in criminal activities.
According to police records, she stated that in 2020 a woman approached her seeking a deceased child and paid her N10,000 after collecting one. She also allegedly disclosed details of a system in which babies could be sold for millions of naira, with biological mothers receiving a significant portion of the proceeds.
Obot claimed that the deceased infant found in her possession was the result of a miscarriage and that the child's father had authorised its disposal. She said the body was never disposed of and remained at the facility.
She further explained that the preserved infant had sometimes been used by women experiencing fertility challenges or facing pressure from partners to have children. According to her, some women staged pregnancies and later presented the deceased infant as proof of a stillbirth.
Despite the allegations, Obot denied any wrongdoing, insisting that she was only assisting women struggling with infertility and that mothers who surrendered their babies did so voluntarily.
Another suspect, identified as Uffiong Ubong Anthony, reportedly admitted she was not a trained nurse despite working in the facility for more than two decades. She told investigators that she learned nursing duties by observing healthcare professionals at a private hospital and had worked as an auxiliary nurse for 21 years without formal qualifications.
The police have urged anyone who experienced a stillbirth at the facility or suspects irregularities surrounding childbirth there to come forward and assist with ongoing investigations.
Authorities also advised expectant mothers to ensure they have trusted relatives present during delivery and to pay close attention to security measures within maternity facilities.
The Rivers State Police Command said investigations are continuing to determine the full extent of the alleged trafficking network and identify any additional suspects connected to the operation.
.jpeg)
0 Comments
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed on this platform as comments were freely made by each person under his or her own volition or responsibility and were neither suggested nor dictated by the owners of News PLATFORM or any of their contracted staff. So we take no liability whatsoever for such comments.
Please take note!