Three suspects arrested in connection with baby theft

What should have been a moment of celebration and relief for a family at One Heart Hospital in Lamashegu, a suburb of Tamale, quickly turned into fear and heartbreak after a newborn baby boy was allegedly stolen from the facility’s labour ward.

The incident occurred on Sunday morning, December 21, 2025, barely hours after the baby was delivered. According to the Northern Regional Police Command, officers from the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) received a distress call at about 10:30 a.m., reporting that the baby had gone missing under troubling circumstances.

Preliminary findings suggest that a woman, allegedly disguised as a nurse, entered the labour ward and took the newborn under the guise of administering an injection. Trusting the uniform and the environment meant to protect her child, the baby’s mother reportedly raised no alarm until it was too late.

For the family, the joy of welcoming a new life was replaced by shock and anxiety as frantic searches within the hospital yielded nothing. “It is every mother’s nightmare,” a relative said, describing the confusion and fear that gripped the ward when the disappearance was discovered.

Police investigations have since led to the arrest of three suspects to assist with enquiries. They include two nurses, Abubakari Fatima Bintu and Grace Asiedu Mensah, who were on duty at the hospital at the time of the incident, as well as Abukari Iddi, the security guard on duty.

As the search for the missing baby intensifies, police say intelligence-led operations are ongoing to locate the child and to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

Beyond the immediate family, the case has sent waves of fear through the community, raising serious concerns about the safety of mothers and newborns in health facilities that are meant to be places of healing and trust.

The Northern Regional Police Command has assured the public that every effort is being made to reunite the baby with the family and to ensure that those responsible face the full rigours of the law.

The statement was signed by Chief Inspector Alhassan Luckman Niendow, Northern Regional Public Relations Officer.