The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a medical doctor, Dr. Emmanuel Chimaobi Ugwumba, aged 52, over alleged involvement in child trafficking and forgery.
The suspect, a native of Ezimo-Agu in Udenu Local Government Area, was apprehended on September 28, 2024, by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad. The Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, who confirmed the arrest, said that Dr. Ugwumba’s arrest followed the discovery of a public notice he published in the Daily Sun Newspaper on September 27, 2024, regarding an abandoned child.
The notice falsely claimed endorsement by the Enugu State Ministry of Gender and Social Development. Authorities discovered the suspect had trafficked children under the guise of running a medical facility. Upon his arrest, police rescued a pregnant woman, along with a four-year-old and a two-year-old child, both female.
Investigations revealed that Dr. Ugwumba, who claimed to be a graduate of the University of Jos, operates Chima Hospital and Maternity in Ugbaike Enugu-Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area. Between 2017 and 2024, he allegedly conspired with others, including an individual claiming to work for the Ministry, to deliver seven untraceable children from different mothers.
Dr. Ugwumba was found in possession of unauthorized documents from the Ministry of Gender Affairs and fraudulent certificates from the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources. He was arraigned in court on October 9, 2024, and remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Centre, pending further hearings. Ndukwe assured the public that investigations are ongoing to bring all those involved to justice.