The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three individuals in connection with the disappearance of a newborn baby from One Heart Hospital in Tamale.
The arrests were carried out on Sunday, December 21. Those in custody include two nurses, Abubakari Fatima Bintu and Grace Asiedu Mensah, who were on duty at the time of the incident, as well as a security guard, Abukari Iddi.
Preliminary investigations indicate that a woman, believed to have been impersonating a nurse, entered the labour ward and informed staff that she was taking the newborn for an injection. She subsequently left the ward with the baby and failed to return.
Confirming the development, the Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Inspector Alhassan Luckman Niendow, said intelligence-led operations are underway to trace the missing baby and apprehend any additional suspects connected to the case. He assured the public that the police are treating the matter with utmost urgency.
Earlier, the baby’s mother, Abdul Mumin Safiyatu, told JoyNews that she had briefly stepped out to use the washroom. Upon her return, she discovered that her baby was missing, causing panic at the hospital.
An eyewitness also told JoyNews that a woman entered the delivery room, claimed she was taking the baby for routine checks, and later vanished with the child.
The baby’s father, Bawa Sayibu, said he received a call around 1:15 a.m. informing him that his wife had given birth to a baby boy. He explained that he later purchased the required medications ahead of discharge and left the hospital around 10 a.m.
“I was with my colleagues when my sister called me in tears, asking me to rush to the hospital,” he recounted. “When I arrived, I was told the baby had been stolen.”
Mr Sayibu added that following a report to the police, several arrests were made, including one of his wives who works at the hospital.
In the aftermath of the incident, residents of Lamashegu gathered at the hospital, demanding answers and accountability. Many expressed shock over the incident and raised concerns about security at health facilities, calling for enhanced measures to safeguard patients and their families.
