Police in Enugu have arrested Dr. Emmanuel Ugwumba over allegations of child trafficking and forgery in Udenu Local Government Area.
The arrest was confirmed by the spokesperson for the Enugu State Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, in a statement released on Wednesday.
According to Ndukwe, officers from the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad took Ugwumba into custody on September 28 after receiving credible information linking him to a child trafficking network.
“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,” Ndukwe said.
The arrest came after Ugwumba published a public notice about an abandoned child, which was endorsed in the name of the Enugu State Ministry of Gender and Social Development. The notice was published in the *Daily Sun* newspaper on September 27, 2024.
During the arrest, police rescued a pregnant woman, a four-year-old girl, and a two-year-old girl. Ndukwe revealed that Dr. Ugwumba, who claims to be a graduate of medicine from the University of Jos, runs Chima Hospital and Maternity in Ugbaike Enugu-Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.
“Investigation revealed that the suspect conspired with an acclaimed staff of the ministry and others, who are still at large, to conduct antenatal care and delivery for seven yet-to-be-traced children from different mothers in his hospital between 2017 and 2024,” Ndukwe added.
Authorities also found various documents, including papers from the Ministry of Gender Affairs and unverified pest/vector certificates from the Enugu State Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, in Ugwumba’s possession.
The police are continuing their investigation into the case.
