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The District Court of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) in Accra has set bail at GH₵200,000 with two sureties for Latifa Salifu, the woman arrested for the alleged theft of a four-day-old baby boy from the postnatal ward at Mamprobi Hospital.
This decision was made during her second court appearance on March 4, 2026.
Latifa, accused of child theft, had her attorney, Dr. Hamisu Muhammed, request bail, promising the court that she would not obstruct the ongoing investigations.
The judge initially thought about remanding her but allowed bail when the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Ani Adjie, was absent in court.
Latifa was initially taken into custody on Friday, February 20, after rapid police inquiries and community assistance resulted in her arrest subsequent to the incident being reported on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
The 33-year-old reportedly posed as a nurse and took the baby under the guise of providing medication after the infant’s mother, Precious Ankomah, gave birth to him on February 14, 2026.
She asserted that she had given birth at the hospital and was released due to inadequate care; however, police inquiries found no documentation to back her assertion.
The prosecution claims that Precious Ankomah, a 29-year-old trader, underwent a caesarean section at Mamprobi Polyclinic on February 14, 2026, and was placed in the recovery ward with her newborn.
Two days later, lab tests reportedly revealed that the baby had jaundice and would be sent to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for additional care.
Despite being discharged, the complainant stayed at the hospital due to her inability to pay her medical bills and was relocated to a recovery room on the upper floor
Although the complainant had been discharged, she remained at the hospital because she was unable to settle her medical bills and was moved to an upstairs recovery room.
Prosecution says that on February 17, at about 4:00 a.m., the accused, dressed in peach-coloured nurses’ scrubs, approached the complainant’s bed, looked at her and the baby, and left. At about 7:00 a.m. the same day, she allegedly returned and took the baby under the pretext of administering medication, but failed to return.
During the morning shift handover, nurses realised the baby was missing. A search was conducted within the hospital premises, but the accused was not found. A formal complaint was subsequently lodged with the Police.
The prosecution further told the court that the accused was later arrested after she allegedly contacted a whistleblower and claimed she had delivered at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital but had been discharged due to a lack of beds. Police later re-arrested and detained her for investigations.
In her initial cautioned statement, the accused denied the offence but later admitted to it during further investigations, according to the prosecution.
The case has been adjourned to April 8, 2026.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
