Shocking: Fake Nurse Walks Into Nigerian Hospital and Steals Newborn Just Hours After Delivery
FNA News
Gboko / Makurdi, Benue State | 14 August 2026
A woman posing as a nurse entered a maternity ward at a healthcare facility in Gboko, Benue State, and took a newborn boy from his mother’s arms just hours after birth on Tuesday. The infant has since been recovered and several suspects arrested, Benue State Police Command confirmed on Thursday.
How the abduction unfolded
The baby was delivered in the early hours of 11 August at the Family Healthcare Centre in Gboko Local Government Area. Medical staff noted that the newborn did not cry immediately after birth. A nurse on duty intervened and the infant responded normally. Mother and child were then moved to a ward for further care.
👉 Join our Whatsapp channel Here
Shortly afterwards, an unidentified woman approached the mother. She identified herself as a hospital nurse and said she needed to examine the baby again. Believing the woman was part of the medical team, the mother handed over her son.
The woman carried the infant towards the labour room. The baby’s grandmother, who was present, followed but was told to remain outside and assured that everything was under control. Moments later both the woman and the newborn had disappeared.
Family members raised the alarm. Nurses on duty stated that the woman was not a member of staff and denied collecting the baby. The incident drew relatives and local residents to the facility. Security operatives were deployed to maintain order.
Police confirmation and recovery
Benue State Police Command spokesperson DSP Peter Aondona confirmed on Thursday that the newborn had been recovered and that several suspects were in custody.
“I can confirm to you that some suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft of a newborn baby in Gboko on Tuesday. Some of the suspects were earlier transferred to the state headquarters in Makurdi, while other suspects are currently in police custody at the Gboko Division,” he said.
The case was initially reported at Gboko and later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
Why this matters
Incidents of this nature expose gaps in identity verification and access control in maternity wards. Healthcare facilities handling newborns face heightened risks of abduction, particularly in the critical hours immediately after delivery when families are focused on recovery and staff are managing high workloads.
Experts in child protection and hospital security consistently recommend clear staff identification protocols, restricted ward access, and continuous monitoring of infant movements. Strengthening these measures protects both patients and legitimate medical staff while deterring opportunistic or organised attempts to remove infants from care settings.
Police investigations continue to establish the full circumstances of the abduction and the roles of all those involved. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
👉 Join our Whatsapp channel Here
Fellow Nurses Africa is the independent voice of African nursing, we educate, inform and support nurses across Africa.
Kehinde Oluwatosin is one of the many editors here at Fellow Nurses Africa and fellownurses.com.
He is a registered nurse with a Master of Science degree in healthcare leadership from the University of Hull, United Kingdom. Kehinde is passionate about advancing the nursing profession across Africa. As Co-Founder of Fellow Nurses Africa, he plays a key role in shaping editorial direction, ensuring our content educates, informs, and empowers nurses continent-wide.
With expertise in leadership, patient flow, and healthcare operations, Kehinde brings valuable insights to nursing news, career development, and policy discussions. He is committed to amplifying the voice of African nurses and driving positive change in the profession.
