The Enugu State command of the Nigeria Police Force has apprehended one Dr. Emmanuel Ugwumba on charges of suspected child trafficking and document forgery in the Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Daniel Ndukwe, the Public Relations Officer for the Force, confirmed the arrest in a press release on Wednesday.
The press release details that members of the Force’s Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad captured Ugwumba on September 28.
The statement added, “The suspect was arrested following credible intelligence that linked him to a child trafficking network.
“His arrest followed the interception of a public notice on an abandoned child he made, endorsed in the name of the Enugu State Ministry of Gender and Social Development as the director of OTZ, and published in the Daily Sun Newspaper of September 27, 2024.
“Upon his arrest, he was found to be involved in child trafficking with one pregnant woman, the four-year-old child, and another two-year-old child, both female, being rescued.
“Investigation revealed that the suspect, who claimed to be a graduate of medicine and surgery from the University of Jos, owns and manages Chima Hospital and Maternity located at Ugbaike Enugu-Ezike in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.
“It was further discovered that between 2017 and 2024, he conspired with an acclaimed staff of the ministry and others at large to conduct ante-natal care and delivery of seven yet-to-be-traced children from different mothers in the hospital.
“The suspect was also found with different documents from the Ministry of Gender Affairs and unverified pest/vector certificates from the Enugu State Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources.
“He was today, October 9, 2024, arraigned in court and remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Centre, pending further hearing.”
