OYO TRAFFICKING SUSPECT ADMITS SELLING HER BABIES, STEALING 19 CHILDREN

A suspected member of an interstate child-trafficking syndicate in Oyo State has reportedly confessed to selling her own babies and stealing at least 19 children from different locations. The suspect, identified as Adejoke Popoola, also known as “Orente Alagbo,” was among seven suspects arrested by the Oyo State Police Command following an investigation into the disappearance and trafficking of children. The police said the case began with a petition concerning a missing child but later exposed a wider network allegedly involved in abducting, moving and selling children across state borders.

According to the police, Popoola was arrested on August 4 after detectives linked her to the disappearance of three-year-old Ifakunle Ifagbenro, who reportedly went missing during a masquerade festival in Oyo town on June 29. During interrogation, she allegedly admitted stealing more than 15 children between the ages of two and seven from places including churches, parties and other public gatherings. The investigation also reportedly revealed that she had sold her own babies, raising further concerns about the scale and methods allegedly used by the suspected trafficking network.

The investigation subsequently led police to other suspects and locations outside Oyo State. One of those arrested was Adekanbi Janet, popularly known as “Hosanna,” who was reportedly apprehended in Mowe, Ogun State. Police said four children and two pregnant young women were found in her custody. Ifakunle was later rescued from the Gbagi area of Ibadan on August 20, while four other children allegedly stolen from Oyo were recovered in Agbor, Delta State, on September 2. Two suspected buyers, Christopher Joy, 48, and Rosemary Jesse, 53, were arrested in connection with the recovery.

Police said the investigation also uncovered allegations concerning children who allegedly died while in the custody of members of the syndicate. Information obtained during the investigation reportedly suggested that some deceased children may have been sold to suspected ritualists. This led to the arrest of Muritala Fasasi, an Alfa, and Yakubu Azeez, a herbalist, over their alleged links to the suspected activities. Authorities have continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding the reported deaths and are working to determine whether more individuals were involved in the alleged trafficking operation.

The Oyo State Police Command has appealed to parents and guardians whose children remain missing to come forward and visit the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, to help identify the rescued children. The police also warned families against handing children over to unverified traditional or spiritual healers, particularly individuals who demand that children be taken away or kept in undisclosed locations. Investigators are expected to continue tracing other missing children, identifying additional suspects and establishing the full structure of the alleged interstate trafficking network before prosecution.