By Peter Duru, MAKURDI
The Benue State Police Command has rescued a newborn baby allegedly stolen shortly after delivery at a healthcare facility in Gboko, arresting 11 suspects in connection with the incident.
The baby, according to the Police, was rescued from the custody of the alleged principal suspect and subsequently reunited with the mother.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Peter Aondongu, who disclosed this in a statement on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Cletus Nwadiogbu, said the incident was reported to the Command on August 12, 2026.
He said, “On 12 August 2026, at about 11a.m., operatives of the Command attached to A Division, Gboko, received a complaint from one Aondofa Chia, whose wife delivered a baby shortly at a healthcare facility in Gboko, that the newborn baby had gone missing.”
According to him, the police immediately commenced investigation following the report, leading to the arrest of nine suspects who were taken in for questioning and to assist investigators in unraveling the circumstances surrounding the disappearance.”
Aondongu said further investigation resulted in the arrest of two additional suspects at about 10p.m. the same day, bringing the number of suspects in police custody to 11.
He identified the alleged principal suspect as 35-year-old Asugh, from whose custody the stolen newborn was recovered.
“The stolen newborn baby was subsequently rescued from her custody and safely reunited with the mother,” the PPRO stated.
He added that investigation was ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the incident and determine the roles allegedly played by each of the suspects and their respective degrees of culpability.
Commending the operatives for what he described as their swift response and professional handling of the incident, the Commissioner of Police assured residents of the state that the Command remained committed to protecting lives and property.
The CP said the police would continue to respond decisively to reports of crime and threats to public safety, while urging members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities.
The Command also appealed to residents with credible information on criminal activities to report to the nearest police station or contact its emergency lines on 08066006475 and 07067374913.
Vanguard News
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