The Ondo State Police Command has arrested three suspects for allegedly kidnapping 14 children, comprising 10 toddlers and four babies.
According to the police, the suspects are Lukman Isiaka (42), Abosede Olanipekun, and Sabira Izuorah (62).
Isiaka and Abosede were said to have abducted the children from Ondo and Osun States and sold them to Izuorah, who allegedly ran an orphanage in Ihiala, Anambra State, at the cost of ₦1 million per child.
The Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Wilfred Afolabi, paraded the suspects at the command’s headquarters in Akure, the state capital, on Friday.
The commissioner explained that acting on intelligence, officers of the command raided the orphanage in Anambra State, rescuing the victims and apprehending the 62-year-old suspect. It was alleged that Izuorah had sold some of the children at her orphanage for ₦1 million each to her clients.
He said, “The Ondo State Police Command has apprehended a syndicate specialising in child stealing and trafficking. A case of a missing child was reported at Okuta Elerin-Nla Division in Akure.
“A complainant reported that a man, Samuel Adejobi (real name Lukman Isiaka, aged 42), and a woman, Ewatomi (real name Abosede Olanipekun), came to her shop pretending to be siblings. While eating and playing with her child, Abosede deceived the complainant by claiming she wanted to buy biscuits for the baby.
“Meanwhile, Lukman distracted the complainant by engaging her in a personal conversation and lured her to Olukayode Plaza in the market under the pretext of buying a mobile phone. Upon returning to her shop,
she discovered that her child was missing, and there was no trace of Abosede or Lukman. A report was immediately filed at the division.
“Through intelligence-led policing, the suspects were traced to Ottah Village in Edo State, where they were arrested. During interrogation, the suspects confessed to abducting the child and other children from Ondo and Osun States, selling them to one Sabira Izuorah (female, aged 62) in Ihiala, Anambra State, at the rate of ₦1 million per child. Subsequently, Sabira was arrested in Ihiala, and the children were found in her custody.”
Afolabi added that all the suspects would be charged in court upon the completion of the investigation.
