TAMALE, Ghana — The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three people in connection with the theft of a newborn baby from One Heart Hospital in Tamale.
The arrests were made on Sunday, December 21, and include two nurses — Abubakari Fatima Bintu and Grace Asiedu Mensah — who were on duty at the time of the incident, as well as a hospital security guard, Abukari Iddi.
According to police, the baby was taken after a woman, believed to have posed as a nurse, entered the hospital’s labour ward and informed staff that she was taking the newborn for an injection. She reportedly left the ward with the baby and did not return.
The Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Inspector Alhassan Luckman Niendow, said intelligence-led operations are underway to locate the missing child and identify additional suspects connected to the case. He emphasized that police are treating the matter with urgency.
Earlier, the baby’s mother, Abdul Mumin Safiyatu, told JoyNews that she briefly left the ward to use the washroom. When she returned, she discovered her baby was missing, prompting immediate concern and confusion at the facility.
An eyewitness also told JoyNews that a woman entered the delivery room, claimed she was taking the baby for routine checks, and later disappeared with the child.
The baby’s father, Bawa Sayibu, said he received a call around 1:15 a.m. confirming the birth of his son. He later purchased medications required for discharge and left the hospital around 10 a.m.
“I was sitting with my colleagues when my sister called me crying and asked me to rush to the hospital,” he said. “When I arrived, I was told the baby had been stolen.”
Sayibu added that police made arrests after the family formally reported the incident, including one of his wives who works at the hospital.
Following the incident, residents of Lamashegu gathered at the hospital demanding answers and accountability. Many expressed shock and concern over hospital security, calling for stronger measures to protect patients, newborns, and their families.
Police say investigations remain ongoing.
