The Mother Said, “The Doctor Who Stole My Baby During Delivery Admitted To A Crime And Apologized.”

Mrs Eunice Bright Ekwok, who accused an Abuja-based medical doctor of stealing one of her twins during birth in his hospital, has said the doctor had initially admitted to the crime secretly to her but begged her not to let the outside world know about it on the first day she went to the doctor’s house to confront him.

Ekwok said on the fateful day, the accused medical doctor handed over the alleged stolen child to her with apology but as she made to leave, his wife held her on her shirt, asking where she thought she was going with the child they had helped to raise.

The distraught woman’s claim was contained in a preliminary statement by her lawyer, Mr Baba Isa.

The statement read in part: ”Our clients, Mrs. Eunice Bright and her husband, Mr. Bartholomew Bright Ekwok, from Benekaba, Mfuma-Ntrigom, South Ukelle in Yala LGA of Cross River State, registered for antenatal care at Divine Reign Clinic, Sauka, Abuja.

“Antenatal scans revealed that she was pregnant with twins. On her due date, she was delivered of twins via Caesarean Section. However, when she asked about her children, her husband informed her that the doctor handed him only one child. When she inquired about the other child, she was told that the child had died at birth, after initially being told that the child was unwell and on oxygen.

“She was discharged and returned home. About a month later, our client took her child to the same hospital for immunization. At the hospital, she saw the doctor’s wife with a child who was exactly the same age as hers and bore a striking resemblance. (See attached picture of the children, who are now older). She returned home and shared her concerns with her husband.

“The couple decided to confront the doctor. Our client visited the hospital to confront the doctor but didn’t find him there, so she went to his residence. When the doctor and his wife were confronted, they initially showed remorse and handed the baby to our client with apologies. However, as our client prepared to leave, the doctor’s wife physically prevented her from doing so and instructed the doctor to call the police.”

The lawyer’s preliminary statement further read: ”Our client and her husband (who later met her at the police station) were arrested and detained for several days. They were released only after the police forced them to sign a fabricated affidavit admitting to a crime and apologizing to the doctor. Since then, the matter has been transferred from one police division to another, from Command to FID to Force CID.”

The lawyer said his “clients’ sole request is for a DNA test to determine the paternity of the twins.”

“However, the police have blatantly refused, allegedly shielding the doctor and his wife, the perpetrators of this heinous crime. At one point, the police claimed that the doctor had given them N2 million for the DNA test. On another occasion, they claimed to have conducted the test but refused to release the results.

“In a shocking twist, the police filed frivolous criminal charges against our clients for allegedly providing false information to the police and defaming the character of the suspected child thief and his wife,” the preliminary statement further read.

The lawyer regretted that his “clients were arraigned and remanded in prison custody until they were able to perfect their bail”, disclosing that “it was at this point that our legal services were sought and retained.”

The lawyer then vowed that, ‘’This barbaric crime will not go unpunished. We are taking steps to ensure justice for our clients. We appreciate the tremendous support our clients have received from well-meaning Nigerians,” promising to provide updates to the public subsequently.

The police have continued to maintain sealed lips over the issue. The Investigating Police Officer, IPO handling the case at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, Ali Kayo, refused to comment on the case and instead, directed reporters to the Force Public Relations Officer, FPRO, at the Force Headquarters Abuja.

Several attempts to get the response of the police through the Force Headquarters’ spokesman, has remained abortive as he failed to pick calls or respond to messages made to his known phone line.

On his part, the lawyer to the complainants, Barrister Baba Isa,has vowed justice for the couple, insisting that the ‘heinous crime” would not go unpunished.

“The case the police file against our client is coming up on May 27, at Magistrate Court, Wuse 2. We shall meet there. Our clients are only requesting for a DNA to be carried out, they are not asking for too much,” he said.