The Oyo State Police Command has uncovered a suspected interstate child-stealing and human trafficking network, rescuing 17 children, arresting seven suspects and confirming that six other children died while allegedly in the custody of the syndicate.
The development was announced by the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, on Monday.
Among the suspects paraded was Adejoke Popoola, also known as Orente Alagbo, whose alleged confession provided investigators with information that helped expose the wider network.
According to the police, the investigation began after a petition dated July 29, 2026, submitted by Popoola over allegations including conspiracy, cyberbullying, threat to life and defamation.
The investigation later led detectives to the disappearance of three-year-old Ifakunle Ifagbenro, who went missing during an annual masquerade festival in Oyo Town on June 29.
Police said video and photographic evidence from the event showed Popoola carrying the child shortly before his disappearance.
She was subsequently arrested on August 4 and, according to the police, admitted that she had left the festival with the child.
Her statement allegedly opened the way to a wider investigation into the stealing, movement and sale of children.
Police said Popoola disclosed that she had been involved in the theft of more than 15 children between the ages of two and seven, allegedly targeting children at churches, parties and other public gatherings within and outside Oyo State.
The missing Ifakunle was later located and rescued in the Gbagi area of Ibadan on August 20.
Investigators also traced an alleged associate, Adekanbi Janet, also known as Hosanna, to Mowe in Ogun State.
According to the police, four children aged between two and four were rescued from Janet’s custody, alongside two pregnant young women.
The investigation subsequently extended beyond Oyo and Ogun states.
On September 2, police operatives travelled to Agbor, Delta State, where they rescued four children allegedly stolen from Oyo State and arrested two people identified as Christopher Joy, 48, and Rosemary Jesse, 53.
Police said the development confirmed that the suspected criminal operation had an interstate dimension, with children allegedly being moved between states for sale or concealment.
The investigation also produced a more disturbing allegation involving children who reportedly died while in captivity.
The police said suspects disclosed that when some children died in their custody, their bodies were allegedly sold to people involved in ritual activities.
This led to the arrest of Muritala Fasasi, an Alfa, and Yakubu Azeez, a herbalist, whom the police said allegedly confessed to involvement in the ritual aspect of the operation.
The command said 17 children have so far been rescued, while six abducted children were confirmed dead in captivity.
The police have appealed to parents and guardians whose children have recently gone missing to visit the Oyo State Police Command Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, to check whether any of the rescued children are their relatives.
The Commissioner also urged parents to report missing children immediately rather than waiting before contacting law enforcement.
During her own interaction with journalists after being paraded, Popoola allegedly made several further claims about her involvement in the illegal trade.
She claimed that she had seven biological children and had previously sold some of the children she gave birth to before becoming involved in stealing other people’s children.
She alleged that she sold a set of twins to a clinic for N300,000, claiming that the clinic subsequently resold children to customers in Lagos.
These claims have not been independently established and should be treated as allegations contained in her statement to journalists.
Popoola also alleged that she sometimes posed as a spiritualist and targeted parents with children living with disabilities.
“Sometimes, I disguise myself as a spiritualist. Parents bring their disabled children to me because they cannot talk, sit, or walk. So, I will promise them that I can help them to heal, then I will go and pick another person’s child for them.”
She also described how she allegedly took Ifakunle during the masquerade festival in Oyo Town.
According to her account, she volunteered to help carry the child during the procession before leaving the area with him.
The police, however, have presented evidence from the investigation that they say links Popoola to the child’s disappearance, including footage from the event.
Popoola also claimed that six of the 19 children she allegedly abducted had died, while 13 remained alive.
The police have not indicated that all the details contained in Popoola’s account have been independently verified.
The command said its investigation is continuing in collaboration with relevant security and government agencies to identify other members of the suspected network, locate additional missing children and establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The police also warned parents and guardians to exercise caution when dealing with people who claim to be traditional or spiritual healers, particularly where such individuals request that children be taken away or kept in undisclosed locations.
The suspects remain allegations at this stage, and their claims or alleged confessions will be subject to further investigation and the judicial process.
The scale of the investigation, involving 17 rescued children, six reported deaths and suspects across three states, has raised fresh concerns about organised child trafficking and the vulnerability of children at public gatherings, religious events and other places where criminals may gain access to them.
The Oyo Police Command said it would continue efforts to dismantle the network and reunite rescued children with their families.
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