Police in Cross River State have arrested two nurses and a serving female soldier over the alleged theft and sale of a newborn baby in Akamkpa Local Government Area.

The arrests followed a report by 19-year-old mother, Justina Valentine Boniface, from Aningeje village, who claimed her baby boy was stolen shortly after delivery at the Primary Health Centre, Aningeje, on August 12, 2025.

According to Boniface, while she was asleep after giving birth, the two nurses on duty — identified as 45-year-old Ndifon Nelly Ekpu and 38-year-old Obi Mary Baken — conspired to take her child. They allegedly told her the baby had died and was buried within the facility.

However, after discovering this was false, Boniface alerted the police.

Police investigations revealed that the nurses sold the newborn to a buyer, W/Sgt. Aisha Yakubu, a serving member of the Nigerian Army. Yakubu was also arrested.

Authorities say efforts are ongoing to locate the final recipient of the stolen baby and safely recover the child.