The Oyo State Police Command has rescued 17 children and arrested seven suspects in an investigation into an alleged child-stealing and human trafficking network operating across several states.
The command also confirmed that six children allegedly abducted by the syndicate died while in captivity.
Oyo State Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, disclosed the development on Monday during a press briefing at the Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.
According to him, the investigation began with a petition submitted on July 29, 2026, but took a major turn after detectives began looking into the disappearance of a three-year-old boy, Ifakunle Ifagbenro, during a masquerade festival in Oyo Town on June 29.
Ifakunle had reportedly accompanied his father to his grandfather’s family compound for the festival.
The police said a woman identified as Adejoke Popoola, also known as Orente Alagbo, offered to carry the boy during the event before she and the child disappeared from the venue.
The matter was subsequently reported at the Atiba Police Divisional Headquarters in Oyo Town.
Olugbenga said photographs and videos from the event, alongside digital evidence and statements obtained during the investigation, showed Popoola carrying the missing child around the time he disappeared.
She was arrested on August 4 and, according to the police, her statement opened the door to a wider investigation into an alleged network involved in the stealing and sale of children.
Police uncover wider child trafficking network
The commissioner said Popoola allegedly admitted to being involved in the disappearance of more than 15 children, mostly between the ages of two and seven, from churches, parties and other public gatherings within and outside Oyo State.
She reportedly identified Adekanbi Janet, also known as Hosanna, as an alleged associate.
Police subsequently traced Adekanbi to Mowe in Ogun State, where four children, aged between two and four, were rescued.
Two pregnant young women were also reportedly found at the location.
According to the police, Adekanbi admitted knowing Popoola for about 10 years in connection with the alleged stealing and sale of children, although she denied having Ifakunle in her custody.
Information obtained during the investigation eventually led detectives to the Gbagi area of Ibadan, where Ifakunle was rescued on August 20.
The investigation then moved beyond Oyo State.
Olugbenga said detectives travelled to Agbor, Delta State, on September 2, where four children allegedly taken from Oyo State were rescued from suspected buyers.
Two suspects, identified as Christopher Joy, 48, and Rosemary Jesse, 53, were arrested in connection with the operation.
The commissioner said the development showed that the alleged trafficking network had an interstate structure, with children reportedly being moved from one state to another.
Police allege ritual dimension
The investigation also took a more disturbing turn when police said they uncovered an alleged ritual component linked to the network.
According to Olugbenga, one of the suspects allegedly told investigators that children who died while in the group’s custody were sold to suspected ritualists.
The disclosure reportedly led to the arrest of Muritala Fasasi, an Alfa, and Yakubu Azeez, a herbalist.
The police said the two men allegedly confessed to involvement in the use of the bodies for ritual purposes.
The claims remain part of an ongoing police investigation, with the command saying it is working to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine the full extent of the network.
Children allegedly sold for up to N600,000
The police also attributed a further account to Popoola, who allegedly told investigators that she had stolen 13 children before her arrest.
She reportedly said she sometimes visited homes and took children when she found no one around.
The suspect allegedly told investigators that children were sold for between N500,000 and N600,000 and claimed the operation had been ongoing since October 2024.
She also allegedly described how members of the network could gain the confidence of parents at traditional and spiritual gatherings before taking children away.
In one of the accounts attributed to her, she reportedly claimed that parents of children with disabilities could be approached with promises of healing before the children were taken away.
Police name six children confirmed dead
The six children whom the police said died while in captivity were identified as Musharaf Lawal Tajudeen, 2; Greatness Adeagbo, 5; Sainat Amoo, 2; Taiwo Usman, 2; Daniel Solomon Olayinka, 7; and Miracle Olaniyi, 4.
The 17 children rescued during the investigation include Ifakunle Ifagbenro, 3; Musibau Olasupo, 5; Sulaimon Osamo, 7; Murina Fidaus, 3; Aminat Yusuf, 3; Taiwo Olamilekan, 3; an unnamed nine-day-old male infant; Rafiat Waheed Babalola, 2; Quwiyat Alade, 5; Rejoice Divine, 3; Alhaji Divine, 5; Eniolorunda, 3; Victoria, 3; Isoma Prince, 3; Roqeeba, 4; Boluwatife Odedeyi, 3; and Ireoluwa Elizabeth Olapade, 7.
The police have appealed to parents and guardians whose children have gone missing in recent times to visit the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, to determine whether any of the rescued children belong to their families.
Police appeal for vigilance
The Oyo police command said the investigation is continuing, with efforts underway to identify other members of the alleged network, locate more missing children and establish what happened to those who died.
Olugbenga urged members of the public to report cases of missing children to the police immediately rather than waiting for prolonged periods before seeking help.
He also warned parents and guardians to be cautious when dealing with individuals who claim to be traditional or spiritual healers, particularly when they seek to separate children from their parents or take them to undisclosed locations.
The commissioner appealed to anyone with credible information that could assist the investigation to contact the police, assuring members of the public that such information would be treated professionally and confidentially where necessary.
He said the command remained committed to protecting children and other vulnerable persons and bringing anyone found culpable before the law.
