Rivers State government closes five hospitals amid child trafficking investigation; suspects arrested

By Davies Iheamnachor

PORT HARCOURT: The Rivers State Government has shut five hospitals and one patent drug store in the state following allegations of child trafficking and unlicensed operations.

The government has also arrested seven suspects linked to the illegal activities.

The facilities closed include PLARIV Hospital on Kreigeni Road in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government; Good Shepherd Hospital on Nkaru Street in ONELGA; Blessed GoodNews Clinic at 31 Bonny Street in Port Harcourt; ESTATE Clinic in Okahia Estate off East West Road in Obio/Akpor LGA; a patent drug shop in Ndele, Emohua LGA; and EL DONA Hospital in Elekahia, Port Harcourt City LGA.

The arrests followed an investigation by the state Anti‑Quackery Committee, supported by security agencies.

Speaking in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Dr Vincent Wachukwu, Chairman of the Anti‑Quackery Committee and Permanent Secretary Designate of the Rivers State Ministry of Health, said that some of the facilities the team visited were staffed by non‑medical personnel and unqualified individuals who performed surgeries, prescribed and administered drugs to unsuspecting patients.

Wachukwu said some of the owners of the illegal facilities were offering training for intending nurses without possessing the requisite qualifications to operate a health facility.

He revealed that one of the hospitals, operated by a person claiming to run a hospital, has been involved in child trafficking and keeps dead babies, which they use in exchange for living ones after deceiving mothers into believing their offspring had died during delivery.

Wachukwu noted another serious case is a 20‑year‑old girl who died after the operator of a Patent Drug Store injected her with an unknown substance.

He said: “For the latest one, at EL DONA Hospital, Elekahia in Port Harcourt. The Proprietor was operating without registration. She was involved in child trafficking.”

“All members of staff of the facility were immediately arrested for prosecution. We have sealed that facility, and we are going to support the police in ensuring she is prosecuted.”

“Part of what we gathered from the investigation is that this woman is involved in child trafficking. Women go there to deliver. She has dead babies that she will exchange and tell the woman, maybe if you didn’t hear your baby cry, she will tell them their baby died and will show the dead baby in exchange for their babies and will end up selling the real, live babies.”

“She has been doing this until now, but luck has run out for her. The ministry and the Rivers State government will do everything to ensure this woman is prosecuted.”

“We also visited one Patent Drug Shop in Ndele, Emohua LGA. This is a very serious case because the operator of this place is untrained. She was alleged to have administered some injectable medication on a 20‑year‑old girl that led to her death. The girl just finished Secondary School. She wrote JAMB and was awaiting admission.”

A report came to us; we went there, sealed the place and arrested the people we could arrest. The operator was not around. We are still on her trail, and the community is helping us.

We sealed a Hospital called PLARIV Hospital, located in Kreigeni Road in Omoku, ONELGA. It’s a 10‑bed hospital. We got some tips concerning the