A 33-year-old woman arrested for allegedly stealing a four-day-old baby from the Mamprobi Polyclinic in Accra reportedly acted out of desperation to have a child, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection has disclosed.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews on Wednesday, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey said the suspect, Latifa Salifu, took advantage of what she described as a “convenient environment” at the health facility.
“Without meaning to give too much information out, I just want to say that she is a woman in desperate need of a child. She saw a very convenient environment and took advantage of it,” the Minister stated.
Dr. Lartey stressed that although the act is condemnable, the suspect also requires psychological support due to trauma she may have experienced.
The Minister further revealed that the Government, under the leadership of John Dramani Mahama, is facilitating medical care and psychosocial support not only for the baby and the mother but also for the suspect.
The infant, who was stolen on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, from the Mamprobi Polyclinic, has since been safely recovered.
The suspect is currently in police custody assisting with investigations.
Dr. Lartey emphasised the need to support all affected parties to ensure recovery and prevent further trauma.
“What she’s been through is also quite traumatic… we need to support her to recover and explore avenues to address her desperation,” she added.
Suspect Disguised as Nurse
Meanwhile, the Dansoman Police Command of the Ghana Police Service has provided details of the arrest.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Superintendent Juliana Obeng, Head of Public Affairs for the Accra Region, said the arrest followed swift investigations and public cooperation after the incident was reported a day earlier.
According to police, at about 10:00 a.m. on February 17, Abigail Dzikunu, accompanied by Henrita Abe Blessed, reported that an unidentified woman disguised as a nurse had stolen a newborn from the hospital’s postnatal ward.
The baby’s mother, Precious Ankomah, who delivered on February 14, 2026, told police that a woman dressed in a peach-coloured nurse’s uniform took the baby under the pretext of administering medication and failed to return.
Police officers subsequently visited the facility, took statements and launched a manhunt.
At approximately 3:40 a.m. on Wednesday, February 18, officers arrested Latifa Salifu, a cloth seller, at the premises of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. She was found in possession of a baby suspected to be the missing child.
The suspect reportedly claimed she had delivered at the hospital and had been discharged due to a lack of care.
However, preliminary investigations found no records to substantiate her claim.
The suspect remains in police custody, while arrangements are being made for the baby to receive medical attention and safekeeping as investigations continue.
