I sold my newborn twins for N300,000 and stole other kids, Arrested woman

A 50-year-old woman was arrested by the Oyo State Police on Monday. This was part of a crackdown on a child-stealing and trafficking group. She told the police that she sold her newborn male twins for N300,000. She also admitted to stealing other children for people involved in baby factories in Oyo State.

The suspect, Adejoke Popoola, also known as Orente Alagbo, said in a video shared by Oyo Affairs that she stole at least 13 children. She claimed to have received between N80,000 and N120,000 for each child she supplied.

According to her, she got involved in this illegal operation after meeting a woman named Oluwakemi. She said Oluwakemi ran a “baby industry” and sold children to buyers in Lagos.

"God gifted me pregnancies. If a man has sex with me two times, I won’t be able to abort it. I sold children to Oluwakemi two times. I sold a one-year-old son and I sold newborn male twins to her last year," she said.

Ms Popoola explained that she sold the twins after the man responsible for the pregnancy refused to accept them. "The twins are male. I sold them newborn. She (Oluwakemi) gave me N300,000. She also sold babies I gave her to people. She has a baby industry and sells them to Lagos. If I give them any child, they give me N80,000 or N120,000," Mrs Popoola alleged.

The suspect also talked about how she stole children during public events, including an Egungun festival in Oyo. In June, she went to Oyo after telling a commercial motorcyclist that she wanted to attend an Egungun festival, even though she claimed she did not know the area.

As the Egungun procession started, she approached the mother of a three-year-old child named Ifakunle Ifagbenro. She offered to carry the child for the mother. "The child said he’s not going to stay, but I told her mum that I should hold her for her. So I followed them around. Around evening, I ran away with the child," she stated. She claimed she received N900,000 for selling Ifagbenro.

Ms Popoola also said that she sometimes targeted families by offering to help children with disabilities. "I used to exchange children too. If they bring a disabled child, I’ll tell them that I’ll help them to heal. Then I’ll go and pick another person’s child and give it to them."

Before this, Ms Popoola sold herbs. She linked up with the suspected baby-trafficking ring after her shop was burned down in January 2024. She said she regularly sold herbs around Ogere and supplied a woman who ran a clinic for pregnant women.

"Later they told me that instead of suffering, I should be stealing babies for them," she said. She stated that she was paid N80,000 for the first child she allegedly stole. Later payments ranged from N80,000 to N120,000.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Oyo State Police Command began their investigation after receiving a petition. They uncovered a wider network involved in stealing, moving, selling, and hiding children. So far, the police have rescued 17 children and arrested seven suspects, including Mrs Popoola. Six other children reportedly died while in the custody of their abductors.

The police also claimed that the investigation found a link between the suspected child-trafficking operation and ritual activities. They said remains of children who died in custody were allegedly sold to suspected ritualists.