Mujeeb Akindoyin
The Oyo State Police Command has rescued four more children allegedly stolen from their biological parents and sold to different individuals, bringing to 21 the number of children recovered in an ongoing investigation into a suspected child-stealing, human trafficking and baby factory syndicate.
The command disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka.
The latest recoveries followed complaints from parents who reportedly recognised their missing children after the command earlier announced the rescue of 17 children and the arrest of suspects allegedly linked to the syndicate.
According to the police, the fresh information prompted investigators to further interrogate the principal suspect, AdeJoke Popoola, also known as Orente Alagbo.
The suspect allegedly provided information that enabled detectives to trace other children believed to have been stolen from their parents and sold.
Acting on the leads, police operatives travelled to Lagos State on September 3 and rescued a three-year-old boy, Taiwo Olamilekan, from the Akoka area of the state.
Investigators subsequently located and rescued another child, Aleemi Omogoriola Okuleye, from Ikorodu, Lagos, on September 8.
The investigation was later extended to Delta State following another lead concerning children allegedly taken from their biological parents.
The police said operatives on September 14 rescued two children from the same parents in Agbor, Delta State.
The children were identified as nine-year-old Adeyinka Ayomide and two-year-old Adeyinka Gold.
According to the command, the two children were allegedly stolen from their parents in Ogun State before being taken to Delta State.
Following the recoveries, the police said investigators conducted verification to establish the identities of the children and their biological parents.
The four rescued children have since been reunited with their respective families, the command said.
The latest development brings the number of children recovered in the investigation to 21, underscoring the interstate dimension of the suspected trafficking operation being investigated by the police.
The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, has directed the investigative team to pursue every credible lead, identify other possible victims and unravel the full structure of the suspected child-stealing and trafficking network.
The command also urged parents and guardians whose children remain missing to report to the police and provide any information that could assist investigators in tracing the victims and identifying those allegedly involved.
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