The Edo State Police Command has arrested a 46-year-old quack doctor, identified as Osaze Okungbowa, following the disappearance of a newborn at a private health facility. The Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, confirmed that the baby's mother, Princess Oke, reported the incident, alleging that her baby, delivered under Okungbowa's care, mysteriously vanished from the clinic.
Suspect Arrested After Two Weeks on the Run
Okungbowa allegedly absconded after the incident but was tracked down and arrested by the police two weeks later. Commissioner Agbonika stated that efforts are ongoing to recover the baby. The suspect, speaking with journalists, admitted he was not a qualified medical doctor, claiming he had only received training as an auxiliary nurse. 'I worked as a manager at a private hospital where both qualified and unqualified personnel were employed,' he said.
Conflicting Accounts of the Baby's Fate
Okungbowa claimed he did not personally conduct the delivery because he was ill on the day the woman arrived at the facility. 'I invited another nurse to assist with the delivery. The baby later developed complications because it was born prematurely and was being taken to a hospital with an incubator when it died. The baby was not feeling fine, so I was asked to take the child to a hospital where there was an incubator. While taking the baby there, it died. We later buried the baby at an Anglican cemetery,' he said. He denied allegations that he sold the baby, insisting the child died before reaching the hospital and was subsequently buried.
Mother Rejects Premature Birth Claim
However, the baby's mother, Princess Oke, disputed his account, alleging that her baby was sold because the child was not born prematurely. She said Okungbowa induced her labour at about 11am on the day she arrived at the clinic. 'A midwife later asked me to come to their house for the delivery. After I gave birth, I heard my baby cry before I became unconscious. When I woke up, I saw only the placenta. The doctor had disappeared. I was later told my baby had died, but I don't believe that. They claimed my baby was premature, but how can a baby delivered after 35 weeks of pregnancy be described as premature?' she asked. She appealed to the police to help recover her baby, insisting that the child had been sold.
Police Assurance and Ongoing Investigation
Commissioner Agbonika assured that the suspect would be charged in court, while efforts are ongoing to arrest another suspect who remains at large. The case highlights the dangers of unlicensed medical practitioners operating in private health facilities.
