A suspected member of a child-stealing and trafficking syndicate in Oyo State, Adejoke Popoola, has allegedly confessed to selling two sets of children she gave birth to and stealing other children for onward sale.
Popoola, who spoke at the Oyo State Police Command headquarters in Ibadan, said she had been involved in child trafficking since October 2024.
She allegedly admitted selling a newborn boy and a set of twins, with the twins reportedly sold to a clinic in Ogeere for ₦300,000.
Popoola also confessed to stealing children by posing as someone looking to rent a house and taking children when their parents were not around.
She said she had also disguised herself as a spiritualist, targeting parents with children living with disabilities under the guise of offering treatment.
According to her, she had allegedly kidnapped 19 children, of whom six died while 13 survived.
The Oyo State Police Command said it had uncovered a wider child-stealing and trafficking network operating across several states.
The Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, said the investigation led to the arrest of seven suspects and the rescue of 17 children.
He said some of the rescued children were found in Ogun and Delta states, confirming the interstate nature of the suspected trafficking network.
The police also alleged that investigations uncovered cases involving the sale of deceased children to suspected ritualists, leading to further arrests.
The command has urged parents and guardians who have lost children to visit its headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, to identify the rescued children and facilitate their reunification with their families.
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