Operatives of the Edo State Police Command on Friday paraded a 46-years old -man, Osaze Okungbowa, an imposter , who having been working as a medical doctor to take delivery of new babies and then trafficked them.
Okungbowa was arrested after one Princess Oke reported that the baby she delivered under the suspect’s care was missing.
Speaking with journalists during the parade, Okungbowa said he did not attend any tertiary institution but trained as an auxiliary nurse.
Okungbowa said he was employed at a hospital but denied performing any duties of a doctor.
He said the baby of Princess Oke died while being transported to another facility because it needed to be kept inside an incubator.
According to him, “I am a fake Doctor. I was employed as a Manager in a private hospital. The owner employs both qualified and unqualified persons. One Mr. Godwin brought a woman and said she wants to deliver. I told them I cannot take the delivery because I was not feeling fine that day
“I called a woman to come and assist for the delivery at the facility. The lady I called took the pregnant woman home for delivery. The man that brought the pregnant woman called me and said the baby was not feeling fine and that I should take the baby to where it could be kept inside incubator. I brought and while taking the baby to the hospital, it died. Mr. Godwin said we should bury the baby. We buried the baby at one Anglican cemetery.”
Okungbowa insisted that he did not sell the baby and confirmed that he only attended secondary school.
But mother of the baby said she heard her baby cried before she becamse unconscious after delivering the baby
“Okungbowa wss the person that induced me around 11am. A midwife said I should go to their house to deliver. After delivery, I heard the cry of the baby before I became unconscious. When I regain consciousness, I saw only the placenta. The doctor has been on the run. I was told the baby died. I believed the child is not dead. He said the child is premature. How can a 35 weeks baby be a premature?”
Edo Police Commissioner, Monday Agbonika, said the suspect would be charged to court after investigation has been concluded.
Meanwhile, Some persons who were kidnapped at their farms in Estako West local government area of Edo State said they escaped after their kidnappers slept off.
They said their kidnappers were tired after making them to walk all night.
Speaking at the Edo Police headquarters,
Braimah Destiny, who spoke on behalf of the victims, said he was returning from the farm when he ran into six men armed with guns and cutlasses.
Braimah said the kidnappers abducted 10 other persons and took them into the forest.
He said they heard police shooting while being marched into the
According to him, “I was coming from the farm when I met six of them armed with guns and matchet. They also captured others making us 11 victims. They took us from one bush to another. It ws around six pm we heard police shooting. They made us walked throughout the night. We got to a place and they told us to hide. They were very tired and they slept off.
“That was how we helped ourselves and ran away. We ran to the police station and went to meet the police. The kidnappers beat us and maltreated us.”
Another victim, Gloria Inyanugbo, who identified her abductors said she spent four days at the kidnappers’ den before her husband paid N3m for her release.
“I was kidnapped on the 12th of January when I was working inside the farm. They asked how much I have in my account after taking me inside the bush. I spent four days. until my husband raised N3m and another N300,000 to buy hard drugs, food and other items.
“Community vigilante nabbed two of them inside the bush and the police arrested other through tracking. I saw one of them that boasted that nobody can do him anything. I can’t imagine police could.arrrest them.”
