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Two babies who were reportedly kidnapped from a Gqeberha hospital on Tuesday evening have been returned unharmed.
Picture: iStock
In a dramatic conclusion to a harrowing abduction ordeal, two newborn babies who were snatched from Dora Nginza Hospital in Nelson Mandela Bay, were reunited with their mothers on Wednesday afternoon, 21 May.
Their return comes just hours after the two premature baby boys were kidnapped on Tuesday evening from the public health facility’s neonatal ward.
At the time of their abduction, the infants were just four and two days old and still in incubators. According to reports, one of them was also being treated for a broken arm.
Premature babies kidnapped from Dora Nginza Hospital
A frantic search to find the missing babies was launched by the Gqeberha police’s Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit and health authorities.
South African Police Service (Saps) spokesperson Sandra Janse van Rensburg confirmed to The Citizen that the infants were reunited with their mother and both boys were in good health.
Two female suspects arrested
According to Janse van Rensburg, two female suspects were arrested by the FCS.
“One of the Saps officers was exiting the premises of the hospital, when he noticed two females with infants. He immediately approached them and started questioning the women.
“The suspicion of the member was positive, after the infants were identified as the two stolen babies. The two suspects, aged 25 and 26, will appear in the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court during the week,” the police spokesperson said.
The acting Nelson Mandela Bay District Commissioner Brigadier Loyiso Ngalo commended the Saps team “who worked tirelessly since the kidnapping was reported”.
“We are grateful that they were found and that they can be reunited with the mothers.”
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Addressing the media on Wednesday afternoon, a relieved Nelson Mandela Bay Deputy Executive Mayor Gary van Niekerk revealed that the two infants were back in hospital and have both “just had their first feed” after their reunion with their mothers.
Mystery kidnapping of babies from maternity ward
It was previously reported that the mother of one of the infants left her baby in the maternity ward’s premature unit after breastfeeding him at around 7pm on Tuesday evening.
When she returned at 8:30pm to feed the child again, she discovered he was missing.
A second mother later arrived at the ward and discovered that her baby son was also missing.
Two women captured on hospital CCTV cameras
When questioned about the incident earlier this morning, Eastern Cape health department spokesperson, Sizwe Kupelo, said a security guard stationed in the maternity building tried to stop two women who were trying to access the ward carrying a bag.
“The ladies were assumed to be breastfeeding. However, one of them managed to evade the security guard and gain access to the nursery carrying the same bag.”
Kupelo added that CCTV footage showed one of the women later using a different door to exit with the bag.
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