Panic gripped the Comprehensive Health Centre, CHC, Gboko, in the early hours of Wednesday, August 12, 2026, following the alleged disappearance of a newborn baby boy shortly after delivery.
According to a source who pleaded anonymity, the baby was born without crying and nurses on duty intervened. After stabilizing, both mother and child were moved to a ward for observation.
The mother, identified as Mrs. Hemabafan from Vandeikya but resident in Gboko, said a woman posing as a nurse approached her in the ward to “check on the baby.” The woman took the infant toward the labour room.
The baby’s grandmother followed but was told to wait outside with assurances that “all was well.” By about 4:30am, the newborn could not be found.
Nurses on duty denied taking the baby and said the woman was not part of their team.
News of the incident spread quickly, drawing family members and residents to the facility, also known as Division Hospital. Security operatives were deployed to restore calm.
Nine persons, including nurses on duty and the facility’s officer-in-charge, have been arrested and are being transferred to the Benue State Criminal Investigation Department, CID, in Makurdi for further investigation.
As of press time, the baby is still missing and efforts to reach the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer were unsuccessful.
