Ogun Police rescue seven children from child trafficking ring

By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

Ogun State Police Command has dismantled a child trafficking and illegal surrogacy syndicate operating under the guise of an orphanage, rescuing seven children and arresting five suspects in a major operation that uncovered the planned sale of babies for up to ₦1.5 million each.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Seyi Babaseyi, and made available to journalists in Abeokuta.

According to the statement, the breakthrough was recorded by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) after a child abduction case was transferred from the Idanyin Divisional Police Headquarters.

The police explained that the investigation began on November 28, 2025, when a woman identified as Amara reported the abduction of her six-year-old son, Samuel Honesty.

“Preliminary investigations led to the arrest and prosecution of two suspects, Chioma Honest and Praise Honesty, after which the case was transferred to the SCID for detailed investigation,” the statement said.

It added that on January 21, 2026, the missing child was dropped off at Gowon Police Station in Lagos State, where he disclosed that he had been taken to Joyful Kids Orphanage in Badagry and identified the operator of the facility as Madam Joy.

“Acting on this information, operatives raided the orphanage and rescued six additional children, bringing the total number of rescued minors to seven,” the police said.

The rescued children were identified as Ramsey Chiedozie (8), Rafael Rofiu (6), Kazeem Chiedozie (6), Segun Uthman (9), Ola Abdulhakeem Abdulrasheed (9), David Oyelese (9), and Samuel Honesty (6).

Samuel Honesty has since been reunited with his mother.

During the operation, two pregnant teenagers, Tanimola Martins (18) and Favour Martins (18), were also found in the facility. The police said the teenagers confessed that they were recruited to carry pregnancies for the purpose of selling their babies to pre-arranged buyers after delivery at ₦1.5 million per child.

The principal suspect, Joy Chiedozie (36), popularly known as Madam Joy, was arrested at the orphanage. She allegedly confessed to purchasing the abducted child for ₦1.5 million, paying ₦900,000 in cash and ₦600,000 via bank transfer to a woman identified only as Kelly, before selling the child to a man identified as Mr. Emmanuel, who is currently at large.

Further investigations revealed that the orphanage driver, Yusuf Adebowale (31), also acted as an uncertified surrogate agent, linking pregnant girls with prospective buyers. Other suspects arrested include Martins Favour (18), Tanimola Martins (18), and Rachael Chiedozie (16).

The remaining six rescued children have been handed over to the Ogun State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for protective custody, welfare assessment, and family tracing.

The police said investigations are ongoing to arrest fleeing suspects, trace financial transactions linked to the racket, identify additional victims, and dismantle the wider trafficking network.

Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, reaffirmed the command’s zero tolerance for child trafficking, illegal adoption, and the exploitation of vulnerable women and children, urging members of the public to report suspicious orphanage operations and human trafficking activities to the nearest police station.

“The command remains committed to safeguarding lives, protecting the vulnerable, and upholding the rule of law,” he said.

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