A heartbreaking case of alleged child trafficking has been reported at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, following claims that medical staff handed over three children to unknown persons after their mother reportedly died following surgery.
The case came to public attention after a humanitarian, Mrs. Chinyere Jennifer James, shared a video online appealing for help to locate the children’s relatives and demanding answers from the hospital.
“I am Mrs. Chinyere Jennifer James, please link us to her family members,” she pleaded in the viral video, explaining that she had received a distress call about the stranded children.
Mother Dies, Children Left Without Family Contact
According to Mrs. James, the deceased woman underwent an operation at UNTH but did not survive, leaving behind three children with no known family members nearby.
“One child had already been given to a pastor,” she said, “while the other two were left in the hospital.”
When she visited UNTH to verify the situation, Mrs. James said a doctor narrated how the hospital had struggled to locate any relative of the deceased.
“The woman was with her two children – we have been coming asking where are the relatives; they said they were the only ones. So when the woman died, we now asked the elderly one about their father; she said their father is not around; do they have any other person; they said the person is coming in November. Am I going to carry them to my house? Of course, no,” the doctor reportedly said.
Mrs. James questioned why the hospital failed to reach out to recognised agencies such as the Ministry of Gender Affairs or the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
“We asked whether they don’t have a human rights section where they would have reported or handed them over or alternatively sent them to the Ministry of Gender,” she said.
Alleged ₦20,000 Demand Raises Questions
The case took a disturbing turn when, according to Mrs. James, a doctor allegedly requested ₦20,000 to facilitate the return of the children, who had already been taken away by an unnamed woman.
“After an argument with this doctor, we were asked to send N20k to the lady who left with those children so that she can return them – our intention was to hand them over to human rights and see how we can get in touch with her family so that they can pick them up,” she said.
She expressed anger over the hospital’s actions, accusing the staff of acting irresponsibly and hinting at possible child trafficking.
“I was so angry that I had to ask the doctor if this is how you people have been selling children in the hospital. Anybody who just has issues – hospitalised and she died, you will sell her kids or you just give them out to an unknown party because you cannot take care of them and you cannot equally contact human rights organisations to come and look into the case,” she stated.
As at press time, the whereabouts of the three children remain unknown, while their late mother’s body is reportedly still at the hospital mortuary.
Hospital Yet to Respond
Efforts to reach the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Mr. Uchelue Boniface, proved unsuccessful, as calls and text messages were not returned.
The hospital, a federal tertiary health institution and one of the country’s oldest teaching hospitals, has come under renewed scrutiny over this latest allegation.
In September, UNTH was also accused of negligence in the death of Mrs. Charity Unachukwu, who reportedly passed away on September 20, 2025, after a car accident. Her sister, Phina Unachukwu Ezeagwu, had shared a post on Facebook lamenting the family’s ordeal, writing: “UNTH killed my sister with negligence of duty.”
At the time, the hospital management said it had commenced an internal investigation and extended condolences to the bereaved family.
Public Outcry and Calls for Investigation
Following the latest incident, concerned citizens and rights advocates have urged the Enugu State Government, the Ministry of Women Affairs, and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to investigate the claims thoroughly and locate the missing children.
Mrs. James made a passionate appeal for intervention.
“Child trafficking has to stop, and at the moment, we don’t know where these children are, and their mother is still in the mortuary. Please help us,” she pleaded.
As outrage grows, Nigerians are demanding answers from hospital authorities. For now, the fate of the children and the truth behind their disappearance remain unclear. Thus deepening public concern over accountability and child protection within Nigeria’s health institutions.