The Oyo State Police Command says it has uncovered a suspected child trafficking network operating across several states, rescued 17 children and arrested seven people linked to the alleged operation.
The discovery followed an intelligence-led investigation that began with a petition but took a dramatic turn when detectives started investigating the disappearance of a three-year-old boy, Ifakunle Ifagbenro.
According to the police, the investigation has revealed an organised network allegedly involved in stealing children, moving them across state lines and selling them to buyers.
The Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, disclosed the development while briefing journalists at the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.
Three-year-old boy’s disappearance opens new investigation
The commissioner said the investigation initially began after a petition filed on July 29, 2026, by Adejoke Popoola, also known as Orente Alagbo.
The petition contained allegations of conspiracy, cyberbullying, threat to life and defamation of character and was assigned to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad on August 3.
However, while detectives were looking into the matter, their attention was drawn to the disappearance of three-year-old Ifakunle.
Police said the child had accompanied his father to an annual masquerade festival at his father-in-law’s family compound in Oyo town on June 29.
Adejoke was also reportedly at the event.
According to the police, she offered to carry the child during the festival, after which she and the boy disappeared.
CCTV and digital evidence reportedly led police to suspect
The police said photographs and videos from the event showed Adejoke carrying Ifakunle shortly before his disappearance.
Investigators subsequently invited people identified through the digital trail, and police said their statements placed Adejoke with the child around the time he went missing.
She was arrested on August 4 and, according to the police, admitted attending the festival and leaving with the missing child.
The police described her statement as the first major breakthrough in the investigation.
‘More than 15 children were stolen’
According to Commissioner Olugbenga, Adejoke allegedly confessed to being involved in the theft of more than 15 children between the ages of two and seven.
The children were allegedly taken from places including churches, parties and other social gatherings in Oyo and other states.
Police said Adejoke also identified Adekanbi Janet, popularly known as Hosanna, as an alleged partner.
Janet was subsequently traced to Mowe in Ogun State, where police said four children between the ages of two and four were rescued.
Two pregnant young women were also reportedly found in her custody.
Police allege children were kept until buyers were found
According to the police, Janet admitted knowing Adejoke for about 10 years but denied having Ifakunle in her custody.
Investigators said she nevertheless provided information that helped them locate the missing boy.
Ifakunle was eventually rescued around the Gbagi area of Ibadan on August 20.
Police said the investigation later took them outside Oyo State.
Four stolen children rescued in Delta
On September 2, detectives travelled to Agbor in Delta State, where they reportedly rescued four children allegedly stolen from Oyo State.
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Two suspected buyers, identified by police as 48-year-old Christopher Joy and 53-year-old Rosemary Jesse, were arrested.
The police said their arrests confirmed that the suspected network had an interstate dimension, with children allegedly being moved from Oyo to other parts of the country.
Police uncover alleged ritual angle
The investigation took an even more disturbing turn when police said one of the suspects disclosed that children who died while in their custody were allegedly sold to ritualists.
This information reportedly led detectives to two additional suspects Muritala Fasasi, described as an Alfa, and Yakubu Azeez, described as a herbalist.
The two men were arrested and, according to the police, confessed to using the bodies for ritual purposes.
The police said investigations are still ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the reported deaths of six children allegedly linked to the network.
Police: 17 children rescued so far
The Oyo Command said it has rescued 17 children in connection with the investigation.
The police are now appealing to parents and guardians whose children have gone missing in recent times to visit the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, to check whether any of the rescued children are theirs.
The command said the exercise is aimed at ensuring the children are reunited with their families as quickly as possible.
Commissioner Olugbenga urged parents and guardians to report missing children to the police immediately rather than waiting before seeking help.
He also warned members of the public to be cautious when dealing with people who present themselves as traditional or spiritual healers, particularly anyone who attempts to separate children from their families or take them to undisclosed locations.
The police said they are working with other security and government agencies to uncover the full structure of the alleged network, locate other missing children and determine what happened to those reportedly killed.
The command also appealed to anyone with credible information that could assist the investigation to come forward, assuring informants that their information would be treated professionally and, where necessary, confidentially.
For the families whose children have been missing, the police investigation could now offer a glimmer of hope while raising even more questions about how many children may have been affected by the alleged network.
