Police Rescue Toddler Hidden in Sack Bag, Bust Suspected Child Theft Plot in Delta

ByNewsmakers

May 14, 2026 #child stealing in Warri, #child trafficking syndicate Nigeria, #CP Yemi Oyeniyi, #Delta child trafficking, #Delta Police Command, #Fejiro Obaduemu, #Warri child rescue

CP Yemi Oyeniyi

Matilda Omonaiye/

The police in Delta have rescued a two-year-old child allegedly abducted in Warri after officers foiled what authorities suspect was part of a child trafficking operation.

The dramatic rescue followed a swift intervention by officers of the Quick Response Squad (QRS) after a 29-year-old suspect, identified as Fejiro Obaduemu, was allegedly caught carrying the toddler inside a sack bag at the busy Igbudu Market area of Warri.

According to the Command, vigilant residents became suspicious of the suspect’s movements and intercepted him before raising an alarm over a possible child theft attempt. Angry youths reportedly descended on the suspect and attempted to lynch him before police operatives arrived at the scene.

The police said officers promptly rescued both the suspect and the child from the mob and evacuated them to safety. Obaduemu, said to have sustained injuries during the attack, was later treated at the Police Clinic in Warri before being taken into custody for further investigation.

In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, the Command disclosed that investigations conducted the following day led to the successful tracing of the child’s parents.

The toddler was subsequently reunited with the family in the presence of leaders of the Hausa community in Warri, bringing emotional relief to the distraught parents.

Police authorities revealed that preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect allegedly confessed to being sent by another individual, who is currently at large, to steal the child.

The Command said efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing accomplice and dismantle what it described as a wider criminal network involved in child stealing and illegal trafficking of children across the state.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Delta State, Yemi Oyeniyi, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting children and intensifying the crackdown on human trafficking and related crimes.

He urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements involving children to the nearest police station or through the Command’s emergency lines.