The Oyo State Police Command has busted a suspected gang involved in stealing and trafficking children. They rescued 17 children and arrested seven suspects linked to this crime.
The Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, shared this news during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, on Monday.
Olugbenga explained that the breakthrough came from an investigation triggered by a petition. This investigation revealed a larger criminal network involved in stealing, moving, selling, and hiding children.
The CP also mentioned that the investigation uncovered claims about other crimes. This included reports of using dead children for rituals.
Olugbenga said, “What started as an investigation into a petition has, through careful work, uncovered a larger network reaching beyond Oyo State. This led to the rescue of 17 children and the arrest of seven suspects.
“The investigation has shown a troubling pattern of identifying, moving, selling, and hiding children along with other serious crimes.”
According to Olugbenga, the inquiry began after receiving a petition on July 29, 2026. The petition was from Adejoke Popoola, also known as Orente Alagbo, who lives in the Sogade area of Ariyo, Ibadan.
He said the petition involved claims of conspiracy, cyberbullying, threats to life, and defamation. It was assigned to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad on August 3.
While looking into the petition, detectives found out about a three-year-old boy named Ifakunle Ifagbenro. The boy went missing during a masquerade festival in Oyo Town on June 29.
The child had gone to the festival with his father, while Popoola had come two days earlier to help prepare for the event. Popoola offered to carry the child during the festival but soon disappeared with him.
This incident was reported to the Atiba Police Divisional Headquarters in Oyo Town.
Olugbenga said detectives reviewed photos and videos from the festival. These showed Popoola with the child.
People identified through the footage were questioned. Their statements confirmed that Popoola was with the child when he went missing.
The CP reported that Popoola was arrested on August 4. She allegedly admitted attending the festival and leaving with the missing child.
Her statement was a big break in the case. She claimed she was involved in stealing over 15 children, aged between two and seven, from churches and parties in Oyo State and beyond.
Popoola also named her partner, Adekanbi Janet, known as Hosanna.
Janet was tracked to Mowe, Ogun State. There, police rescued four children aged between two and four, along with two pregnant young women from her custody.
Olugbenga said Janet admitted knowing Popoola for about 10 years. She claimed she knew about Popoola's alleged crimes but denied having Ifakunle.
Janet also said some stolen children were kept until they were sold. She stated that the pregnant women were cared for until they gave birth.
Her information led detectives to rescue Ifakunle in the Gbagi area of Ibadan on August 20.
The CP added that detectives went to Agbor, Delta State, on September 2. They rescued four children believed to be stolen from Oyo State. Two suspects, Christopher Joy, 48, and Rosemary Jesse, 53, were arrested and confessed.
According to Olugbenga, this showed the interstate nature of the trafficking network. Children are allegedly moved out of Oyo State as part of this crime.
He also claimed the suspects confessed that if a child died while with them, the body was sold to ritualists.
This revelation led to the arrest of Muritala Fasasi, an Alfa, and Yakubu Azeez, a herbalist. They allegedly confessed to using the remains for rituals.
The police chief reported that they had rescued 17 children so far during this investigation. Sadly, six other children died while in the hands of their captors.
The deceased children were identified as Musharaf Lawal Tajudeen, two; Greatness Adeagbo, five; Sainat Amoo, two; Taiwo Usman, two; Daniel Solomon Olayinka, seven; and Miracle Olaniyi, four.
Olugbenga urged parents and guardians who have lost children to visit the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan. They can identify the rescued children and help reunite them with their families.
He said the police are working with other security and government agencies to uncover the full extent of the trafficking network. They aim to find other missing children and investigate the reported deaths.
“The public is encouraged to stay alert and report any missing children to the police immediately,” he said.
“Parents should be careful when dealing with people who claim to be traditional or spiritual healers, especially if they want to take children away.”
Olugbenga asked anyone with useful information for the investigation to contact the police. He assured that all tips would be handled seriously and, if needed, confidentially.
“The Oyo State Police Command is dedicated to protecting children and vulnerable people, breaking down criminal networks, and ensuring justice is served,” he added.
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