The command also revealed that six children allegedly died while in the custody of the syndicate, with investigators uncovering claims that the bodies were subsequently sold to suspected ritualists.
Oyo State Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, disclosed the development on Monday during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.
The investigation reportedly began after a petition filed on July 29, 2026, by Adejoke Popoola, popularly known as Orente Alagbo, over allegations including conspiracy, cyberbullying, threat to life and defamation.
The case was transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad on August 3.
During the investigation, detectives linked Popoola to the disappearance of three-year-old Ifakunle Ifagbenro, who went missing during a masquerade festival in Oyo Town on June 29.
According to the police, Ifakunle had attended the event with his father when Popoola offered to carry him. She allegedly left the venue with the child and did not return.
Investigators reportedly obtained photographs, videos, digital evidence and witness statements which allegedly placed Popoola with the child shortly before his disappearance.
She was arrested on August 4 and allegedly admitted leaving the festival with Ifakunle. Her statement subsequently led investigators to a larger network involved in the alleged theft and sale of children.
Police said Popoola confessedto stealing more than 15 children, mostly between two and seven years old, from churches, social gatherings and other events in Oyo and other states.
She allegedly identified Adekanbi Janet, also known as Hosanna, as one of her associates.
Adekanbi was later traced to Mowe, Ogun State, where officers reportedly rescued four children aged between two and four and found two pregnant young women.
Police said Adekanbi admitted knowing Popoola for about a decade in connection with the alleged child-trafficking operation, although she denied having Ifakunle in her custody.
Her information allegedly helped detectives locate Ifakunle, who was rescued around the Gbagi area of Ibadan on August 20.
The investigation subsequently expanded to Delta State, where police said officers travelled to Agbor on September 2 and rescued four children allegedly taken from Oyo State.
Two suspected buyers, 48-year-old Christopher Joy and 53-year-old Rosemary Jesse, were arrested and allegedly confessed to participating in the illegal trade.
The police said the operation revealed that the syndicate allegedly transported stolen children across state borders before selling them to buyers.
Investigators also uncovered an alleged ritual component of the operation.
According to the commissioner, a suspect told detectives that children who died while in the group’s custody were allegedly sold to ritualists.
This disclosure reportedly resulted in the arrest of Muritala Fasasi, an Alfa, and Yakubu Azeez, a herbalist, who police said confessed to alleged involvement in the use of the deceased children’s bodies for ritual purposes.
One of the principal suspects, according to the police, claimed to have stolen 13 children before her arrest and said the operation had been ongoing since October 2024.
She allegedly told investigators that children were sometimes taken from homes when adults were absent and that they were sold for between ₦500,000 and ₦600,000.
Police further alleged that the syndicate exploited parents’ trust at traditional and spiritual gatherings. In some cases, the suspect reportedly posed as someone capable of treating children with disabilities before allegedly taking them away.
The six children reported dead were identified as Musharaf Lawal Tajudeen, 2; Greatness Adeagbo, 5; Sainat Amoo, 2; Taiwo Usman, 2; Daniel Solomon Olayinka, 7; and Miracle Olaniyi, 4.
The 17 children rescued by the police include Ifakunle Ifagbenro, 3; Musibau Olasupo, 5; Sulaimon Osamo, 7; Murina Fidaus, 3; Aminat Yusuf, 3; Taiwo Olamilekan, 3; a nine-day-old male infant; Rafiat Waheed Babalola, 2; Quwiyat Alade, 5; Rejoice Divine, 3; Alhaji Divine, 5; Eniolorunda, 3; Victoria, 3; Isoma Prince, 3; Roqeeba, 4; Boluwatife Odedeyi, 3; and Ireoluwa Elizabeth Olapade, 7.
The police commissioner urged parents and guardians whose children have gone missing to visit the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, to help identify the rescued children and facilitate their reunion with their families.
Olugbenga said the police, alongside other security and government agencies, were working to dismantle the entire network, trace other missing children, establish what happened to those reported dead and prosecute suspects found culpable.
He advised parents and guardians to be cautious when dealing with individuals claiming to be traditional or spiritual healers, particularly those who attempt to separate children from their families or take them to unknown locations.
The commissioner also urged anyone with useful information about missing children or the alleged syndicate to contact the police, assuring the public that credible information would be treated professionally and confidentially where necessary.
