Following the rescue of 17 children across three states, many parents whose children are missing on Wednesday throng the Oyo State Police Command in search of their missing children.
A traumatized parent who identified herself as Ms Kate Egbewunmi told LEADERSHIP that she lives in Osun State and heard that some children had been rescued and decided to come and see if she would find her child.
She said,’’ I am a single mother. Bose is my only child. She was playing with other children in front of the house I live in Osogbo. By the time I finished cooking and wanted her to come and eat, I searched for her and could not find her till now. She is four years old. This was three months ago. I am hoping that I will find her here. I am waiting for the policeman in charge to bring them out.’’
The Oyo State police Command had appealed to parents and guardians who have been searching for their missing children to visit the Command’s headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, to check and identify whether their children are among those rescued.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, had on Wednesday urged parents and guardians whose missing children were not among the rescued victims to lodge formal complaints with the police and provide relevant information that could assist investigators in tracing their whereabouts.
The Command assured members of the public that the investigation was ongoing, with efforts being intensified to identify other persons allegedly connected to the trafficking network, recover more victims and ensure that anyone found culpable faces the law.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, while addressing newsmen in Ibadan said investigation began with a petition over alleged conspiracy, cyberbullying, threat to life and defamation of character which reportedly opened the door to a much bigger criminal operation involving the alleged abduction, sale and concealment of children.
According to him, the investigation took a dramatic turn when detectives discovered the disappearance of three-year-old Ifakunle Ifagbenro during a masquerade festival in Oyo town on June 29.
He said evidence from the event placed Adejoke Popoola, popularly known as Orente Alagbo, with the child shortly before both disappeared.
He said Popoola was arrested on August 4 and allegedly confessed to stealing more than 15 children between the ages of two and seven from churches, parties and other public gatherings.
He added that her alleged associate, Adekanbi Janet, also known as Hosanna, was subsequently arrested in Mowe, Ogun State. Four children and two pregnant young women were reportedly found in her custody.
“Investigators later traced the missing Ifakunle to the Gbagi area of Ibadan, where he was rescued on August 20.
“The trail then extended to Agbor in Delta State. On September 2, detectives rescued four children allegedly stolen from Oyo State and arrested two alleged buyers, Christopher Joy, 48, and Rosemary Jesse, 53.
The petition was subsequently assigned to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad on August 3,” the police boss said.
Olugbenga said that while detectives were examining the circumstances surrounding the petition, their attention was drawn to the disappearance of a three-year-old boy, Ifakunle Ifagbenro, during an annual masquerade festival in Oyo Town on June 29.
The commissioner said the child had accompanied his father to his father-in-law’s family compound for the festival, while Popoola had arrived two days earlier to participate in preparations for the event.
He said Popoola offered to carry the child during the event, after which both of them disappeared from the venue.
The matter was subsequently reported at the Atiba Police Divisional Headquarters, Oyo town.
According to the police chief, pictorial and video materials from the event showed Popoola carrying the missing child, while digital trails and statements obtained from persons connected to the event further established that she was with the child around the time of his disappearance.
He added that information obtained from her subsequently led detectives to the location of Ifakunle, who was rescued around Gbagi area of Ibadan on August 20.
He said two suspects, identified as 48-year-old Christopher Joy and 53-year-old Rosemary Jesse, were arrested and allegedly confessed to involvement in the business.
The development, he said, confirmed the interstate dimension of the criminal network and showed that children were being moved outside Oyo State as part of the alleged criminal enterprise.
The commissioner further disclosed that the investigation uncovered an alleged ritual dimension to the activities of the syndicate.
According to him, one of the suspects confessed that whenever a child died while in their custody, the body would allegedly be sold to ritualists.
The commissioner further disclosed that the investigation uncovered an alleged ritual dimension to the activities of the syndicate.
According to him, one of the suspects confessed that whenever a child died while in their custody, the body would allegedly be sold to ritualists.
Asked how much the children were sold for, she mentioned amounts ranging from N500,000 to N600,000. She also claimed to have operated in the business since October 2024.
The suspect allegedly described how children could be taken from places where traditional or spiritual activities were being held, including masquerade festivals, by gaining the confidence of parents.
In one account, she reportedly said she would tell parents of children with disabilities that she could help heal them before taking the children away.
The six deceased children were identified as Musharaf Lawal Tajudeen, two; Greatness Adeagbo, five; Sainat Amoo, two; Taiwo Usman, two; Daniel Solomon Olayinka, seven; and Miracle Olaniyi, four.
The ommand said the 17 rescued children were Ifakunle Ifagbenro, (3); Musibau Olasupo, (5); Sulaimon Osamo, (7); Murina Fidaus, (3); Aminat Yusuf, (3); Taiwo Olamilekan, (3); an infant male aged (9) days; Rafiat Waheed Babalola, (2); Quwiyat Alade, (5); Rejoice Divine, (3); Alhaji Divine, (5); Eniolorunda, (3); Victoria, (3); Isoma Prince, (3); Roqeeba, (4); Boluwatife Odedeyi,(3 ); and Ireoluwa Elizabeth Olapade, (7).
The commissioner appealed to parents and guardians who had lost their children in recent times to visit the Police Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, to identify the rescued children and facilitate their reunification with their families.
He said the Command was working with other security and government agencies to uncover the full structure of the alleged network, locate other missing children, establish the circumstances surrounding the reported deaths and ensure that anyone found culpable was brought to justice.
Olugbenga urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report cases of missing children to the police without delay.
He particularly cautioned parents and guardians to exercise care when dealing with individuals who present themselves as traditional or spiritual healers, especially where such persons seek to separate children from their families or take them to undisclosed locations.
The commissioner also appealed to members of the public with credible information that could assist the investigation to contact the police, assuring that such information would be handled professionally and, where necessary, confidentially.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting children and other vulnerable persons, dismantling criminal networks and ensuring that justice was served in accordance with the law.
Details of outcomes later
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