The Ondo State Police Command, on Tuesday, confirmed the arrest of three health workers of a Comprehensive Health Center in Emure Ile, in Owo Local Government Area of the state, over alleged missing placenta of a newborn baby.
The three suspects which included a Nurse, a Health assistant and security officer in the health center were alleged to have conspired to steal the placenta, claiming that the placenta had been eaten by a dog that entered the premises.
It was gathered that the family of the new born baby raised the alarm after the health officials refused to hand over the placenta to the father or the grandmother of the new baby after five days of delivery.
Speaking, the 23-year-old father of the baby,Tunde Ijanusi, explained that the health officials who took delivery of the baby conspired to steal the placenta.
He said his 19 years old wife, Joy Ijanusi, expressed worries over the failure of the hospital workers to give them the placenta of their newborn by those who took the delivery and he decided to report the incident to the police.
Ijanusi said “the health workers had been trading blames over the whereabouts of the placenta and we had to report to the police when they failed to produce the plan after five days.
“They claimed that a dog visited the private room where the placenta had eaten the placenta and persuaded us to let go of the matter.
“But we cannot let go of the placenta and the officials are not too serious to tell us how the placenta got missing in the hospital. In Yoruba land, it is a taboo not to produce the placenta of a new baby after delivery,” he stated.
He, however, noted that necessary action must be taken in ensuring justice and to ensure that the suspect disclose how the placenta developed wings.
Efforts to speak with officials at the health facility were unsuccessful as the person in charge was not available during a visit.
The Ondo Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Funmi Odunlami, who confirmed the arrest of the three suspects; a nurse, health assistant and security officer, said investigation had commenced into the matter.
She explained that the health officials had been arrested in connection with the missing placenta and assured that the police will get to the root of the matter.
Meanwhile, the state of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has dissociated any of its members from the case of alleged missing placenta of a newborn baby at Emure-Ile Comprehensive Health Centre in Owo Local Government Area of the State.
This was contained in a press statement signed by the Chairman of the Association, Comrade Kehinde Olomiye, who asked the security operatives in the state to unravel those behind the missing placenta
He explained that the two health workers and security man apprehended in connection with the stolen placenta were neither qualified nurses nor members of the association.
