Police Bust Child-Trafficking Syndicate In Ogun, Rescue Three Stolen Babies

According to Ireporter Online, operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have successfully dismantled a suspected child-stealing syndicate operating in the Mowe area, rescuing three abducted children from a hideout during an intelligence-driven operation.

The command also confirmed the arrest of a couple, identified as Oluwarankami Kehinde Ugochukwu and her husband, Ugochukwu Mathew, who are believed to be connected to the series of child abductions.

Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed that the suspects were apprehended by detectives attached to the Mowe Division following a coordinated operation led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Afeniforo Folake. He explained that the breakthrough followed a complaint lodged on May 17, 2026, by a resident of the Omo Onile area in Mowe, who reported that her four-month-old baby had been stolen while she was receiving treatment at a local clinic.

Investigations revealed that the female suspect allegedly approached the nursing mother at the clinic under the pretence of offering assistance, before deceitfully taking custody of the infant and fleeing the scene.

Acting swiftly on the report, police detectives launched a manhunt and placed surveillance on motor parks and key locations within the area while intensifying intelligence operations. The effort led to the tracking of the suspects to a hideout in the Kekere Ekun area of Mowe on May 18 at about 7:55 p.m., where the stolen child was recovered alongside two other minors found in their possession.

Preliminary findings further indicated that one of the rescued children had earlier been reported missing in a similar incident in 2024, allegedly involving the same method of deception. Authorities also confirmed that the biological parents of two of the recovered children have since identified and been reunited with their wards.

The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further interrogation and prosecution. The Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the operatives for their swift response and reaffirmed the command’s resolve to intensify the fight against child trafficking, abduction, and other violent crimes across the state, while urging residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities.