Rivers govt shut down 21 health facilities over alleged child trafficking

The Rivers State Government has sealed 21 health facilities over alleged involvement in baby trafficking and other regulatory violations.

The crackdown, carried out by the Rivers State Ministry of Health during the third quarter of 2026, covered four local government areas. Three people were also arrested for possible prosecution.

The operation included a joint enforcement exercise by the ministry and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) at Manda Clinic and Maternity in Elelenwo.

According to the ministry, a Liberian national allegedly disclosed during the operation that three children had been procured from the facility within a period of one month.

The state government said the enforcement exercise was part of efforts to tackle illegal practices in health facilities and ensure compliance with relevant regulations.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Vincent Wachukwu, disclosed this on Monday during the ministry’s third-quarter press briefing in Port Harcourt.

Wachukwu said the enforcement followed surveillance reports indicating that more than 150 health facilities were operating without registration and regulatory supervision.

He said the 21 facilities sealed comprised eight hospitals, five maternity homes and eight diagnostic centres across Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre and Etche Local Government Areas.

According to him, 19 of the facilities were found operating without registration and below the minimum standards set by the ministry, while another registered facility was found operating without a licensed doctor or nurse.

He said: “The Rivers State Ministry of Health is fully committed to its regulatory function and is committed to eradicating quackery from Rivers State as part of our mandate on health security.

“This exercise is a continuation of our anti-quackery mandate to stamp out all unregistered facilities and facilities operated without the minimum standards.”

Wachukwu said Manda Clinic and Maternity, Elelenwo, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, was operating without registration and had no licensed medical practitioners.

He added that its operators were arrested by NAPTIP following the joint operation, after which the facility was sealed by the ministry.

Other facilities shut include Vasty Clinic, Omoku; Danny Clinic and Daba Clinic in Old Port Harcourt Town; Kambel Hospital, Abara-Etche; Havilla Hospital, Igwuruta; Golden Era Hospital, Igwuruta; and Ola-Oluwa Hospital, Igwuruta.

Wachukwu said Havilla Hospital was an unregistered facility operated by a man identified as Mr Isaac, who claimed to have undergone medical training in Ukraine in 2013 but had no licence from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

He added that Kambel Hospital, Abara-Etche, and Golden Era Hospital, Igwuruta, were shut after inspectors found that neither a licensed doctor nor nurse was operating the facilities.

On Sarah Maternity, Belema Polo, Enugu Waterside, the Permanent Secretary said the facility, operated by a popular social media traditional birth attendant, had a patient load of more than 1,000 women and daily traffic of over 200 women.

He said the ministry used the inspection to establish practice guidelines, supervision and advertisement standards, while the operator was issued an official warning and designated as a contact point for other traditional birth attendants and maternity operators on the need for supervision and training.

Wachukwu said the remaining 16 facilities sealed during the exercise were found to be unregistered and operating below the minimum standards stipulated under the Rivers State Facility Registration Act No. 2 of 2019.

He warned that the ministry would sustain the enforcement campaign and urged residents to patronise only health facilities that meet the state’s regulatory requirements.

He said: “We mandate all registered facilities to display their Certificate of Standards at the reception of their facilities.

“We also mandate individuals and corporate organisations to only access care in facilities with verified Certificates of Standards, as this serves as the quality assurance check for health security.”

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