On September 28, 2024, operatives from the Enugu State Police Command's Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad arrested Dr. Emmanuel Chimaobi Ugwumba, a 52-year-old resident of Ezimo-Agu in Udenu Local Government Area, on charges of child trafficking and forgery.
According to a statement from police spokesperson DSP Daniel Ndukwe, Ugwumba's arrest followed the discovery of a public notice he issued regarding an abandoned child, which was falsely endorsed as coming from the Enugu State Ministry of Gender and Social Development and published in the Daily Sun Newspaper on September 27, 2024.
Upon his arrest, authorities found Ugwumba involved in child trafficking activities. He was linked to a pregnant woman and two female children, aged four and two, who were subsequently rescued.
Investigations revealed that Ugwumba, who claims to have graduated in medicine and surgery from the University of Jos, owns and operates Chima Hospital and Maternity in Ugbaike Enugu-Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area. From 2017 to 2024, he allegedly conspired with an individual claiming to be a staff member of the Ministry and others to conduct prenatal care and deliver seven children from various mothers in the hospital, all of whom have yet to be traced. Additionally, he was found in unauthorized possession of various documents from the Ministry of Gender Affairs and unverified pest/vector certificates from the Enugu State Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources.