Segun Atanda/
As the world is preparing to mark Children’s Day on May 27, the police in Ogun have brought joy to some families with the rescue of three abducted children and the arrest of a husband and wife over alleged child stealing.
NewsmakersNG learnt that the police rescued three stolen children in Mowe, after detectives busted a suspected child-trafficking operation in the area.
The suspects, identified as Oluwarankami Kehinde Ugochukwu and her husband, Ugochukwu Mathew, were arrested by detectives attached to Mowe Division following a swift intelligence-led operation coordinated by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Folake Afeniforo.
Police investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly used a disturbing method of pretending to assist vulnerable mothers before disappearing with their babies.
The operation began after a distressed mother reported at the Mowe Division on May 17, 2026, that her four-month-old baby had been stolen while she was receiving treatment at a clinic in Mowe.
According to the complaint, the female suspect had visited the clinic under the guise of showing concern for the nursing mother, offered to help care for the baby while the woman rested, and subsequently vanished with the child.
Following the report, detectives immediately launched a coordinated manhunt, placing motor parks and strategic exit points under surveillance while intensifying intelligence gathering across the area.
Police operatives eventually tracked the suspects to their hideout in the Kekere Ekun area of Mowe on May 18 at about 7:55 p.m., where the stolen infant was rescued alongside two other children found in the couple’s possession.
In a twist, preliminary investigations uncovered that one of the rescued children had been declared missing since 2024 after being stolen from a hairdressing salon using a similar deceptive strategy.
The biological parents of two of the rescued children have reportedly identified and reclaimed their wards, while investigations continue into the wider activities of the suspected trafficking ring.
The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, for further discreet investigation.
Commending the officers involved in the operation, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, praised the professionalism and rapid response of detectives at Mowe Division, noting that the Command remains committed to crushing child trafficking, abduction, and other violent crimes across the state.
The police also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements or criminal activities to security agencies.
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