The Oyo State Police Command has uncovered a sprawling child-stealing and trafficking network stretching across Oyo, Ogun, and Delta states in a case that has shocked residents and reignited fears over the safety of children at public gatherings.
Briefing journalists at the Command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, Commissioner of Police Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga said the breakthrough traced back to the disappearance of three-year-old Ifakunle Ifagbenro, who vanished during a masquerade festival in Oyo town on June 29, 2026.
Photographic and video evidence from the event showed a woman later identified as Adejoke Popoola, also known as Orente Alagbo, carrying the boy shortly before both disappeared from the venue.
Detectives arrested Popoola on August 4, and she reportedly confessed to involvement in stealing, moving, and selling children taken from churches, parties, and other event venues within and outside Oyo State.
According to police accounts of her confession, Popoola said her involvement began in October 2024 while she sold herbs around Ariyo Bus Stop in Olunloyo, Ibadan.
She allegedly described a pricing structure for the children she trafficked, claiming she received between N80,000 and N120,000 for some children, while a set of twins reportedly fetched N300,000 from a clinic in Ogeere.
Her methods, police say, went beyond opportunistic snatching at public events. She allegedly posed as a prospective tenant to gain access to homes before taking children while parents were away and, in other cases, posed as a spiritualist to target families with children living with disabilities, promising help before allegedly supplying a different child in place of assistance.
Popoola’s disclosures allegedly led investigators to another suspect, Adekanbi Janet, also known as Hosanna, who was arrested in Mowe, Ogun State. Police say the trail didn’t stop there.
On September 2, operations extended to Agbor, Delta State, where four children allegedly stolen from Oyo State were recovered from persons suspected of having illegally acquired them; Christopher Joy and Rosemary Jesse were arrested in that operation, which police say confirmed the syndicate’s interstate reach.
Investigators also allege a disturbing ritual dimension to the case. Police say one suspect confessed that whenever a child died in the group’s custody, the body was allegedly sold to ritualists.
The Command said it had received information about six children who allegedly died while in the custody of members of the network, and investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances of those deaths. Police have identified two of the deceased as Musharaf Lawal Tajudeen, age 2, and a child named Greatness Adeagbo.
Two additional suspects, Muritala Fasasi, described as an Alfa, and Yakubu Azeez, described as an herbalist, were also taken into custody as part of the widening investigation.
In total, police say the operation has led to the rescue of 17 children and the arrest of seven suspects across the three states.
Commissioner Olugbenga has appealed to parents and guardians who have recently lost children to report to the Oyo State Police Command headquarters in Eleyele to assist with identification and reunification efforts.
Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu commended the Oyo Command for the breakthrough and directed that efforts be intensified to dismantle the network fully, locate any remaining missing children, and ensure prosecution of everyone found culpable.
The case follows a string of similar discoveries in the region this year, including a suspected baby factory uncovered in Ore, Ondo State in October 2025, where five pregnant underage girls were rescued, and comes just weeks after a separate “baby factory” bust in Ogun State’s Mowe area in August, underscoring what appears to be a persistent pattern of child trafficking networks operating across southwestern Nigeria.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Oyo Police have uncovered a large interstate child-trafficking syndicate operating across Oyo, Ogun, and Delta states, rescuing 17 children and arresting seven suspects, with six child deaths still under investigation.
The suspects reportedly targeted children at public gatherings like festivals, church events, and parties and even posed as spiritualists offering help to families with disabled children.
Vigilance at crowded events and caution with strangers offering unsolicited “help” are critical to preventing these crimes.
