Court remands Nigerian doctor for alleged child trafficking, forgery

A court in Enugu State has remanded a Nigerian doctor for allegedly trafficking a four-year-old girl in the state.

The 52-year-old defendant, Emmanuel Ugwumba, was arrested on 28 September by operatives from the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad of the police in Enugu.

The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said the defendant, Mr Ugwumba, hails from Ezimo-Agu, a community in Udenu Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesperson said the defendant was arrested after he issued a public notice about an abandoned child.

He said the public notice, published in a Nigerian newspaper on 27 September, was presented as having been endorsed by the Enugu State Ministry of Gender and Social Development.

PREMIUM TIMES saw a copy of the public notice stating that the defendant claimed to be an official of the ministry.

Child trafficking allegations

“Upon his arrest, he (Mr Ugwumba) was found to be involved in child trafficking, with one pregnant woman, the four-year-old publicised child and another two-year-old child, both female, being rescued,” Mr Ndukwe said.

The spokesperson said investigations showed that the defendant owns and manages Chima Hospital and Maternity, located at Ugbaike, Enugu-Ezike, in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of the state.

He said the defendant claimed to be a graduate of medicine and surgery from the University of Jos, Plateau State, North-central Nigeria.

Mr Ndukwe said the defendant was found to be in unauthorised possession of different documents from the ministry and unverified pest/vector certificates from the Enugu State Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources.

“It was further discovered that between 2017 and 2024, he conspired with an acclaimed staff of the Ministry and others at large to conduct antenatal care and delivery of seven yet-to-be-traced children from different mothers in the hospital,” he said.

Arraignment

Mr Ndukwe said the defendant was arraigned before the court on Wednesday, and the court remanded him at a correctional centre pending further hearing.

The police spokesperson did not mention the court where he was arraigned or details of charges filed against him.

READ ALSO: Police bust child trafficking syndicate, rescue two children in Enugu

He did not indicate the correctional centre where the defendant was remanded and the next hearing date.

But when contacted, Mr Ndukwe said the defendant was arraigned before a magistrate court in Enugu.

The police spokesperson said he did not have details about the charges against the defendant.