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Six children abducted by a suspected child-stealing and human trafficking syndicate have died in captivity, while 17 others have been rescued following a police investigation into the network operating across Oyo and other states.
The Oyo State Police Command also said seven suspects had been arrested in connection with the alleged stealing, trafficking and concealment of children.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, disclosed this on Monday during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.
Olugbenga said the investigation began after a petition dated July 29, 2026, was submitted by Adejoke Popoola, also known as Orente Alagbo, of Sogade Area, Ariyo, Ibadan. The petition alleged conspiracy, cyberbullying, threat to life and defamation of character.
The matter was transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad on August 3.
According to the commissioner, while detectives were investigating the petition, they were alerted to the disappearance of three-year-old Ifakunle Ifagbenro during an annual masquerade festival in Oyo Town on June 29.
He said the boy had accompanied his father to his father-in-law’s family compound for the event, while Popoola had arrived two days earlier to assist with preparations.
Olugbenga said Popoola offered to carry the child during the festival, after which both disappeared from the venue. The incident was later reported at the Atiba Police Divisional Headquarters in Oyo Town.
The police commissioner said photographs and videos from the event showed Popoola carrying the missing child, while digital evidence and statements from people linked to the event placed her with the boy around the time he disappeared.
Popoola was arrested on August 4 and allegedly admitted attending the festival before leaving with Ifakunle.
Her statement, the commissioner said, opened the way for detectives to uncover a wider network allegedly involved in the disappearance and sale of children.
Olugbenga said the suspect admitted involvement in the alleged theft of more than 15 children between the ages of two and seven from churches, parties and other event venues in Oyo State and elsewhere.
She also reportedly named Adekanbi Janet, also known as Hosanna, as an alleged accomplice.
Police traced Adekanbi to Mowe in Ogun State, where four children aged between two and four were rescued. Two pregnant young women were also found in the location.
The commissioner said Adekanbi admitted knowing Popoola for about 10 years in connection with the alleged stealing and sale of children, although she denied having Ifakunle in her custody.
She allegedly told investigators that some of the stolen children were kept until buyers were found, while pregnant women were cared for until they gave birth.
Information obtained from Adekanbi later led detectives to Ifakunle, who was rescued around the Gbagi area of Ibadan on August 20.
The investigation subsequently spread to Delta State.
Olugbenga said detectives travelled to Agbor on September 2 and rescued four children allegedly stolen from Oyo State from suspected buyers.
Two suspects, identified as 48-year-old Christopher Joy and 53-year-old Rosemary Jesse, were arrested and allegedly confessed to involvement in the operation.
The commissioner said the arrests established that the alleged network operated across state boundaries, with children moved outside Oyo State as part of the operation.
Police also uncovered an alleged ritual component of the syndicate’s activities.
According to Olugbenga, one suspect told investigators that children who died in their custody were allegedly sold to ritualists.
The disclosure led to the arrest of Muritala Fasasi, an Alfa, and Yakubu Azeez, a herbalist. Police said both suspects confessed to alleged involvement in using the bodies for ritual purposes.
One of the principal suspects, who is also known as Orente, reportedly told investigators that she had stolen 13 children before her arrest.
She allegedly said she would visit homes and take children when she found no one around. She reportedly told investigators that the children were sold for between N500,000 and N600,000 and that she had been involved in the business since October 2024.
The suspect also allegedly explained that children could be taken from locations where traditional or spiritual activities were taking place after gaining the trust of their parents.
She reportedly said she sometimes approached parents of children with disabilities, claiming she could help cure them before taking the children away.
The six children confirmed dead were identified by the police as Musharaf Lawal Tajudeen, two; Greatness Adeagbo, five; Sainat Amoo, two; Taiwo Usman, two; Daniel Solomon Olayinka, seven; and Miracle Olaniyi, four.
The 17 rescued children are Ifakunle Ifagbenro, three; Musibau Olasupo, five; Sulaimon Osamo, seven; Murina Fidaus, three; Aminat Yusuf, three; Taiwo Olamilekan, three; an infant male aged nine days; Rafiat Waheed Babalola, two; Quwiyat Alade, five; Rejoice Divine, three; Alhaji Divine, five; Eniolorunda, three; Victoria, three; Isoma Prince, three; Roqeeba, four; Boluwatife Odedeyi, three; and Ireoluwa Elizabeth Olapade, seven.
Olugbenga urged parents and guardians who have recently lost children to visit the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, to identify the rescued children and help reunite them with their families.
He said the police were working with other security and government agencies to uncover the full structure of the alleged syndicate, trace other missing children and determine the circumstances surrounding the reported deaths.
The commissioner also urged members of the public to report missing children immediately and remain vigilant.
He cautioned parents and guardians to be careful when dealing with individuals claiming to be traditional or spiritual healers, particularly where they seek to separate children from their families or take them to undisclosed locations.
Olugbenga called for credible information that could assist the investigation, assuring members of the public that such information would be handled professionally and, where necessary, confidentially.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting children and other vulnerable people, dismantling criminal networks and ensuring that those found culpable face the law.
