Anambra Cracks Down on Notorious Baby Factory Masquerading as Maternity Hospital, Rescues Teenagers and Nabs Wanted Quack

 

A shocking discovery in Anambra State has sent ripples through the community, following the government's decisive action to shut down an illegal baby factory posing as a maternity hospital. The illegal operation, camouflaged under the name “Mother and Child Hospital and Maternity,” was located in Umunya, within the Oyi Local Government Area, and had been secretly operating under the radar.

Security operatives, acting on intelligence and in collaboration with the Anambra State Government, stormed the facility on Saturday, July 26, 2025. During the raid, several pregnant girls, many of them visibly underage and appearing malnourished, were rescued. The mastermind behind the facility, a man posing as a medical doctor, was also arrested at the scene.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, briefed journalists shortly after the raid, revealing that the arrested operator had been on the government’s radar since February of the previous year. During a prior visit to the facility as part of a statewide inspection tour, the Commissioner had flagged the hospital for suspicious practices, but the alleged doctor managed to flee before further investigations could be conducted.

“The individual behind this operation had been declared wanted after evading our previous attempts to verify the authenticity of the hospital,” Dr. Obidike explained. “Thanks to the collaboration between the Ministry of Health and Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, commonly known as the OCHA Brigade, we were able to finally track him down and bring this disgraceful charade to an end.”

Governor Charles Soludo's administration has recently launched several reforms aimed at improving healthcare delivery, one of which was the creation of the State Hospital Monitoring and Accreditation Unit. Dr. Obidike highlighted the role of this initiative in uncovering facilities operating outside the law.

The law empowering the Monitoring Unit allows them to carry out unscheduled inspections on any healthcare establishment, whether public or privately owned. This, according to the Commissioner, has been instrumental in cracking down on unethical practices, fake medical practitioners, and unlicensed clinics scattered across the state.

What investigators found at the Umunya clinic was a grim reflection of exploitation and deceit. The young pregnant girls, most of whom were in distressing physical and emotional condition, disclosed harrowing stories of mistreatment and manipulation. Some recounted being promised large sums of money ranging from ₦1 million to ₦1.5 million in exchange for their babies after birth.

Even more disturbing were testimonies from women who had gone to the fake doctor seeking fertility services. One woman reported paying ₦1.45 million to the impostor despite having no symptoms of pregnancy. She said she suspected she wasn't pregnant but was repeatedly assured by the so-called doctor that she was expecting.

“There was another case where a woman was asked to pay as much as ₦4.5 million to access delivery services,” Dr. Obidike noted with visible concern.

The operation’s success was the result of coordinated efforts, including the support of the State Director of Medical Services, Dr. Ugochukwu Chukwulobelu, who accompanied the Commissioner during the raid. Both officials expressed their dismay over the extent of abuse that had occurred within the facility, calling it a grave violation of human rights and a dangerous affront to the medical profession.

“This is not only an issue of illegal medical practice but also a serious crime against humanity,” said Dr. Chukwulobelu. “These young girls were exploited, stripped of their dignity, and subjected to inhumane treatment under the guise of medical care.”

Authorities have pledged to continue investigating the network behind the illicit baby trafficking operation and to provide psychological and medical support to the rescued victims. Plans are also underway to identify other potential victims who may have been part of the scheme but have not yet come forward.

The Commissioner called on members of the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious medical establishments or personnel operating without proper accreditation. “Healthcare should be a place of healing, not harm,” he stressed. “We will not rest until we clean up every corner of our state from such criminal enterprises.”

As investigations continue, the rescued girls are being relocated to a government-approved rehabilitation center where they will receive care, counseling, and protection. The state government has assured that those responsible for running and facilitating the baby factory will face the full weight of the law.