A doctor in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Dr. Emmanuel Ugwumba, has been arrested and detained by the Enugu State Police Command on allegations of child trafficking and forgery.
The arrest was confirmed in a statement on Wednesday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, who noted that the apprehension took place on September 28, following an investigation by the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad.
According to the police statement, Dr. Ugwumba was implicated in a suspected child trafficking ring after a public notice about an abandoned child surfaced.
The notice, reportedly endorsed by him in the name of the Enugu State Ministry of Gender and Social Development as the director of OTZ, was published in the Daily Sun Newspaper on September 27, 2024.
Upon his arrest, police officers found that he was allegedly involved in child trafficking. A pregnant woman and two female children, ages four and two, were reportedly rescued during the operation.
Investigations further revealed that Dr. Ugwumba, who claimed to be a medical graduate from the University of Jos, runs Chima Hospital and Maternity in Ugbaike Enugu-Ezike, located in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.
Authorities believe that from 2017 to 2024, he conspired with others, including a supposed staff member of the ministry, to provide prenatal care and delivery services, resulting in the trafficking of at least seven children from various mothers, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Additionally, police found various documents linked to the Enugu State Ministry of Gender Affairs in the doctor’s possession, along with unverified pest/vector certificates from the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources.
On October 9, 2024, Dr. Ugwumba appeared in court, where he was remanded to the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Centre pending further proceedings.
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