Police arrest Enugu doctor for alleged child trafficking, forgery

Police operatives in Enugu have apprehended Dr. Emmanuel Ugwumba over allegations of child trafficking and forgery in Udenu Local Government Area.

The spokesperson for the Enugu State Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Wednesday.

According to the statement, officers from the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad took Ugwumba into custody on September 28.

Ndukwe added, “The suspect was arrested following credible intelligence that linked him to a child trafficking network. Investigations are ongoing, and more details will be provided as the case progresses.

“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.

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“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.”