The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a medical doctor, Dr. Emmanuel Ugwumba, on charges of child trafficking and forgery.
Dr. Ugwumba, 52, is from Ezimo-Agu community in Udenu Local Government Area and is accused of running an illegal operation involving the trafficking of children. His arrest was announced by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, in a statementreleased on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.
According to DSP Ndukwe, Dr. Ugwumba was apprehended by officers from the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad on September 28, 2024. His arrest followed the discovery of a suspicious public notice he published regarding an abandoned child.
The notice, which bore his signature and falsely claimed to be from the Enugu State Ministry of Gender and Social Development, was intended to legitimize his activities. It was later found in a national newspaper, drawing the attention of the authorities.
Upon further investigation, police found that Dr. Ugwumba was involved in a larger operation related to child trafficking. During his arrest, a pregnant woman and two female children, aged four and two, were discovered in his custody. The authorities believe that these children were part of his illegal activities.
DSP Ndukwe revealed that Dr. Ugwumba claimed to be a medical graduate from the University of Jos and operated Chima Hospital and Maternity, located in Ugbaike, Enugu-Ezike, in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.
Between 2017 and 2024, the suspect allegedly conspired with others, including an individual claiming to be a staff member of the Ministry of Gender and Social Development, to facilitate the illegal births and trafficking of children. Police are still searching for at least seven other children who were reportedly trafficked from the hospital.
Further investigations also uncovered that Dr. Ugwumba was in possession of unauthorized documents, including forged certificates from the Ministry of Gender Affairs and pest/vector control certificates from the Enugu State Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources.
