Doctor, nurse held over death of pregnant woman, sale of baby

Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a medical doctor, Happiness Enyinnaya Iheukeumere (also known as Hagi) for allegedly killing a 20-year-old lady, Rachael Sampson, and selling her baby.

Hagi, who is the Chief Medical Officer of Hagi Medical Centre, at Abohga Igwuruta market road, in Igwuruta council, was arrested for carrying out a failed surgery that led to the victim’s death.

The sister of the deceased, had, on her Instagram account, claimed that Hagi ordered a nurse to inform Rachael’s family that she died as a result of a car accident. She narrated how her family, on November 15, 2023, received an anonymous call from a lady who informed that Rachael died in a car crash.

She said: “We tried contacting the number she (the caller) sent but it proved abortive. Then, my parents went to Aba, in search of my late sister’s body because a motor accident had happened there. However, the police and medical personnel told my parents that no woman died at the scene of the crash.

“We reported the development to the police and they helped us to track the anonymous lady who gave us the tip-off. The lady had claimed that she was a Point-of-Sale (POS) agent and resided at Choba, in Rivers State. But that was false. We found that she was a nurse. She was eventually arrested. She confessed that Happiness had brought my sister to stay with her for one week but came to pick her up on Monday, November 13.

“Two days later, he called the nurse and told her that my sister died while he was performing a surgery on her, and instructed the lady not to tell the family. He ordered her to blacklist our numbers. We weren’t even aware that Rachael was pregnant and we never took her to the doctor’s hospital.”

Confirming the arrest in a statement, the police spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, revealed that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal and Investigation Department (SCID).

Recall that The Guardian reported that the command arrested and paraded the same suspect on October 26 for child trafficking.

The medical doctor claimed he was under pressure from clients, especially those who had fertility problems and were urging him to help them find children. He said his intentions were pure and he could vouch that his clients would take good care of the children he gave to them.

Asked why he did not follow legitimate means to set up an adoption home, he said the process was cumbersome.

He, nevertheless, admitted to the crime, pleading with government to temper justice with mercy.