Oyo police rescue 17 children, bust interstate child-stealing ring

The Oyo State Police Command has rescued 17 children and arrested seven suspects over an alleged interstate child-stealing and human-trafficking network operating across parts of Nigeria.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, disclosed this on Monday during a press briefing at the Police State Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan.

Olugbenga said the investigation began after a petition was received on July 29, 2026, and was later transferred to the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad on August 3.

According to him, detectives working on the case were led to the disappearance of a three-year-old boy, Ifakunle Ifagbenro, during an annual masquerade festival in Oyo Town on June 29.

“The child attended the festival with his father, but Popoola offered to carry him and later left the venue with the child. She was arrested on August 4 after detectives traced her using video footage and other evidence from the event,” the commissioner said.

Olugbenga said the suspect’s arrest opened the way for investigators to uncover a wider network allegedly involved in stealing, moving and selling children.

He said Popoola confessed to being involved in the alleged theft of more than 15 children between the ages of two and seven from churches, parties and other public events within and outside Oyo State.

The suspect reportedly identified Adekanbi Janet, also known as Hosanna, as an alleged accomplice.

Police later arrested Adekanbi in Mowe, Ogun State, where four children aged between two and four were rescued. Two pregnant young women were also found at the location.

The commissioner said information obtained during the investigation helped detectives locate Ifakunle, who was eventually rescued around the Gbagi area of Ibadan on August 20.

The investigation also spread to Delta State, where police detectives travelled to Agbor on September 2 and rescued four children allegedly stolen from Oyo State.

“Two suspects, Christopher Joy, 48, and Rosemary Jesse, 53, were arrested in connection with the children,” he added.

Olugbenga said the development showed that the alleged criminal operation extended beyond Oyo State, with children reportedly moved to other parts of the country.

“This development confirmed the interstate dimension of the criminal network and established that children were being moved beyond Oyo State for purposes connected with the criminal enterprise,” he said.

The police further uncovered information linking the network to the deaths of some children.

According to the commissioner, one of the suspects told detectives that children who died while in the custody of the alleged traffickers were sold to ritualists.

He said the information led to the arrest of Muritala Fasasi, an Alfa, and Yakubu Azeez, a herbalist, who allegedly confessed to involvement in the use of the bodies for ritual purposes.

The police said seven children had reportedly died while in the custody of the alleged abductors.

The Command appealed to parents and guardians who have lost children recently to visit the Police State Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, to identify the rescued children and help reunite them with their families.

“Nigerians should report cases of missing children to the Police immediately, as any delay could reduce the chances of finding and safely recovering them,” he added.

Oyo police rescue 17 children, bust interstate child-stealing ring