Police allege babies were trafficked from a Port Harcourt clinic, with mothers falsely told their newborns died.
The Nigeria Police Force has uncovered an alleged child trafficking operation at a private medical facility in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, leading to the arrest of several suspects, including the hospital’s Chief Medical Director.
Operatives of the Force Intelligence Department’s Special Tactical Squad (STS-FID) raided Eldona Clinic, located in the Elekahia area of Port Harcourt, on June 12, 2026, following intelligence reports linking the facility to alleged child trafficking activities.
According to police investigators, the operation uncovered a network in which live babies delivered at the hospital were allegedly taken away and trafficked. Investigators further alleged that some mothers were falsely informed that their newborns had died during childbirth, while the babies were subsequently sold.
Among those arrested is the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, 66-year-old Dr. Elizabeth Obot.
Police said the investigation took a more disturbing turn following the discovery of a dead infant allegedly recovered from the doctor’s office. The infant’s body was reportedly embalmed for preservation.
Investigators alleged that the deceased infant was sometimes presented to mothers as evidence that their babies had died.
They further claimed that, in some cases, the body was allegedly rented out to other trafficking networks or to women seeking to deceive relatives about childbirth.
Dr. Obot, however, denied any wrongdoing.
She maintained that she had only been assisting families seeking children and claimed that some women voluntarily gave up their babies. According to her, the infants were handed over to a woman she described as a social welfare officer.
The police said investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the
