The Oyo State Police Command has uncovered an alleged interstate child-stealing and trafficking network, rescuing 17 children and arresting seven suspects in connection with the investigation.
The state Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, disclosed the development on Monday during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.
According to the police commissioner, the investigation began with a petition but later exposed a wider network allegedly involved in the stealing, movement, sale and concealment of children across different states.
The investigation reportedly took a major turn following the disappearance of three-year-old Ifakunle Ifagbenro during an annual masquerade festival in Oyo Town on June 29, 2026.
Police said detectives reviewed photographs and video footage from the event and identified individuals who were believed to have been with the child around the time he disappeared.
A woman identified as Adejoke Popoola, also known as Orente Alagbo, was arrested on August 4. Police alleged that she admitted leaving the festival with the missing child and subsequently provided information that led investigators to a wider network.
The police said Popoola allegedly disclosed her involvement in the stealing of more than 15 children, aged between two and seven, from churches, parties and other event venues in and outside Oyo State.
Her alleged associate, Adekanbi Janet, also known as Hosanna, was subsequently traced to Mowe, Ogun State. According to the police, four children aged between two and four, as well as two pregnant young women, were rescued from her custody.
The investigation also led detectives to the recovery of Ifakunle around the Gbagi area of Ibadan on August 20.
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Police later travelled to Agbor, Delta State, on September 2, where four children allegedly stolen from Oyo State were rescued from suspected buyers. Two suspects, Christopher Joy, 48, and Rosemary Jesse, 53, were arrested in connection with the case.
The Commissioner said the investigation had also uncovered disturbing allegations concerning children who reportedly died while in the custody of suspected abductors.
According to him, six children allegedly died while in captivity, while their remains were reportedly sold to suspected ritualists.
The police subsequently arrested two men identified as Muritala Fasasi, an Alfa, and Yakubu Azeez, a herbalist, over the alleged ritual use of the remains. The suspects reportedly made confessional statements, although the allegations remain subject to further investigation and prosecution.
The Oyo State Police Command said it is working with other security and government agencies to uncover the full structure of the suspected trafficking network, locate other missing children and determine the circumstances surrounding the reported deaths.
The police urged parents and guardians whose children have gone missing to visit the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, to identify the rescued children and facilitate their reunification with their families.
The command also advised members of the public to report missing-child cases immediately and exercise caution when dealing with individuals who claim to be traditional or spiritual healers, particularly where they seek to take children away from their families or to undisclosed locations.
The police assured the public that credible information provided to assist the investigation would be treated professionally and confidentially where necessary.
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