Three women, including two nurses, have been arrested by the Katsina State Police Command for the alleged theft of a newborn baby girl abandoned in a private hospital in the state.

According to the police, one Shamsiya Sani of the Dandagoro Quarter, Katsina, was delivered of the baby on July 25, 2020.

The mother reportedly abandoned the baby shortly after delivery and left behind a handwritten note, which explained that she took the action because the baby was born out of wedlock.

The police said the two nurses at the hospital, Misira Tijani and Grace Ejigu, picked up the baby and allegedly sold her to one Eucharia Onyema.

The three women were paraded at the headquarters of the state police command on Monday.

The command’s spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, said the driver of a commercial tricycle hired by the three women took them to the Sabongarin Police Division after eavesdropping on their conversation.

“The baby is already receiving attention at the Social Welfare Department of the state Ministry of Youths and Social Development,” Isah added.

The nurses, however, denied selling the baby, insisting that they gave her to Eucharia Onyema on humanitarian grounds.

“We took the step on humanitarian grounds. We never sold the baby. The only mistake we made was not informing the hospital management before taking the action,” Tijani said.

Eucharia insisted that she did not buy the baby, adding that she collected her from the nurses with a view to taking care of her since she had no child of her own