Closed-circuit television cameras at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital helped authorities trace and recover a one-day-old baby boy less than 24 hours after he was allegedly abducted from the hospital’s maternity ward, officials said.
The newborn was recovered Tuesday in Laguti Sub-county, Pader District, after community members intercepted a suspect identified as Kevin Lamaro, a resident of the area.
Hospital officials said the suspect allegedly befriended the baby’s mother, who had given birth only hours earlier, and offered to take the infant for routine immunization. After obtaining the baby’s birth documentation, the suspect failed to return to the maternity ward.
Reviewing footage from the hospital’s CCTV surveillance system, investigators saw the suspect leaving the immunization unit and taking a different route instead of returning to the ward before disappearing with the baby.
Walter Uryek-Wun, the hospital’s principal administrator, said the baby’s disappearance was reported to hospital management at about 4 p.m. Monday, prompting an immediate review of surveillance footage.
The CCTV system captured clear images of the suspect, which hospital officials circulated to police and the public.
“The CCTV footage gave us a clear picture of the suspect, and we immediately shared the images widely,” Uryek-Wun said. “The following morning, we received a call from Laguti Sub-county informing us that community members had intercepted the suspect and taken both the suspect and the baby to Laguti Police Post.”
The baby was reunited with his mother but was taken for medical treatment after being found in poor health. The suspect was arrested and is being held at Gulu Central Police Station as police investigate a case of child theft.
Although investigators have not established a motive, Uryek-Wun said the circumstances suggest the alleged abduction may have been planned.
He credited both the hospital’s surveillance technology and community vigilance for the baby’s recovery.
“The CCTV system enabled us to quickly identify the suspect, while the public’s vigilance ensured the baby was safely recovered,” he said.
Following the incident, the hospital plans to strengthen security and increase awareness among mothers in the maternity ward.
Uryek-Wun urged mothers not to entrust newborn babies to people they do not know, even if they appear helpful.
The case is the latest in which Gulu Regional Referral Hospital’s expanded CCTV system has aided criminal investigations.
In February, surveillance footage helped investigators identify and arrest a suspect accused of stealing one of the hospital’s official vehicles. Police later recovered the vehicle after tracking the suspect through the CCTV recordings.
