A three-day old baby has allegedly been stolen from Plateau State Specialists Hospital, Jos, the state capital, from her mother.
The suspected baby thief was said to have disguised as a hospital worker and claimed to be acting on the instruction of the doctor to bring the infant.
The 30-year-old mother, Mary Chukwuebuka, who addressed reporters on Wednesday in Jos, said the baby was taken away from her on Friday, May 31, three days after birth, by a lady who disguised as a hospital medical worker.
She said: “The lady who took my baby dressed in a laboratory coat, just like the hospital worker, came straight to my bed in the hospital and requested to carry the baby to the children’s ward for blood sample.
“At first, I resisted and said a doctor just left here after a cross-examination but she did not mention that the baby was sick or there was need to run a task.
“The lady insisted that she was directed by the doctor to carry the child to children’s ward for blood sample. I willingly released my baby to her, believing that she was a medical personnel working in the hospital.”
Mrs. Chukwuebuka said she came to the hospital on May 28 and gave birth the following day at 4:47 a.m while the baby was stolen on May 31.
“I went through all the antenatal care in this same hospital and I delivered in this hospital. I was just waiting to be discharged when this happened.
“But it only dawned on me when, after waiting for a long period, I went to the children ward and could not find my baby. I went to complain to the other doctors only to discover that my baby was missing. Since then, I have not seen my baby.”
The distraught mother said the matter was reported to the police but that she had not received any explanation from them and the hospital management.
The hospital’s Chief Medical Director (CMD) Dr. Philemon Golwa said the management contacted the police immediately they were informed of the incident.
He added that the hospital could not disclose anything until the police complete their investigation.
The CMD promised that everything would be done to recover the baby.
Police spokesman Matthias Tyopev, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the command had started investigation into the matter to track down the suspect.