Mother loses child to kidnapper in Nasarawa hospital shortly after birth

The mother of the baby, Mrs Wasira Suleiman,

By Zainab Usman

A day-old baby boy was allegedly abducted by a woman posing as a caregiver at the Dalhatu Arafat Specialist Hospital (DASH), Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State. According to eye witness, the mother of the baby, Mrs Wasira Suleiman, 20, had undergone a caesarean section at about 3:am on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 and was transferred to the postnatal ward with her baby.

She told journalists in Hausa that a relative (name withheld) who was supposed to look after her and her baby left her with a stranger, claiming that she needed to get her charger from home. She said the stranger offered to bathe the baby and help her with some clothes, but never returned with the baby. She cried out for the intervention of the Nasarawa State government, the management of DASH and the security agencies to recover her baby safely.

She said, “The woman was brought to me to take care of me and my baby. I wonder how the same woman will steal my baby.” She added, “The pains I went through in the nine months is very severe and there is nothing absolutely that one will tell me to let this go. I was operated upon at about 2: am.” The acting Head of Obstetrics and Gyneacology department at DASH, Dr Muhammed Salihu Oziga, said the incident was very unfortunate and unprecedented in the hospital’s history.

He said the baby was delivered via emergency caesarean section around 3:am on Tuesday morning and handed over to the caregiver who later abandoned the mother and the baby with the kidnapper. He said, “Unfortunately, the so-called stranger took the baby away on the pretence that she wanted to go and bath the baby and never came back.” He said the police have arrested the caregiver, some staff of the hospital and some relatives of the mother for interrogation at the Criminal Investigation Department, Nasarawa State Police Command in Lafia. He said the hospital management and the Chief Medical Director, Dr Ikrama Hassan, have also been informed and are cooperating with the investigation. He said any staff found to be involved in the abduction of the baby would be dismissed and prosecuted by the police.

 The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Shehu Nadada, confirmed the arrest of three suspects and said the police are working hard to find the missing baby and the woman who took him away. He said, ““I don’t think the matter is connected to ritualists but investigation is ongoing at the State Criminal Investigation Department.

The outcome of the investigation will be communicated to Journalists in due time.”