Dr. Emmanuel Ugwumba has been arrested by the Enugu State Police Command on charges of child trafficking and forgery in Udenu Local Government Area. The arrest, confirmed on Wednesday by Public Relations Officer Daniel Ndukwe, occurred on September 28 following an investigation by the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad.
According to police reports, Dr. Ugwumba became a suspect in a child trafficking ring after a public notice regarding an abandoned child surfaced. The notice, published in the Daily Sun Newspaper on September 27, 2024, was allegedly endorsed by him as the director of OTZ under the Enugu State Ministry of Gender and Social Development.
During his arrest, law enforcement officials rescued a pregnant woman and two young girls, aged four and two. Further investigations revealed that Dr. Ugwumba, who claims to be a graduate of the University of Jos, operates Chima Hospital and Maternity in Ugbaike Enugu-Ezike within the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.
Authorities suspect that between 2017 and 2024, Dr. Ugwumba conspired with accomplices, including a purported staff member from the ministry, to provide prenatal care and delivery services, leading to the trafficking of at least seven children, whose current locations remain unknown.
Additionally, police discovered various documents related to the Enugu State Ministry of Gender Affairs and unverified pest/vector certificates from the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources in his possession.
On October 9, 2024, Dr. Ugwumba appeared in court and was remanded to the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Centre as proceedings continue.
