The Ondo State Police Command has arrested three suspects who allegedly kidnapped 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 stolen the babies from Ondo and Osun states and sold the victims to Izuorah, who reportedly ran an orphanage home at Ihiala, Anambra State, at the cost of N1m each.
The Ondo State Police Commissioner, Mr Wilfred Afolabi, paraded the suspects in Akure, the state capital on Friday.
The CP explained that through information, the command operatives stormed the orphanage in Anambra State to rescue the victims and arrest the 62-year-old suspect who had allegedly sold some of the victims for N1m to her customers.
He said, “The Ondo State Police Command has apprehended a syndicate whose speciality is 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, but whose real name is Lukman Isiaka, m, 42 years old, and a woman, Ewatomi, her real name is Abosede Olanipekun, came to her shop pretending to be siblings to eat while playing with the complainant’s child. Abosede deceived her by claiming she wanted to buy biscuits for the baby.
“Meanwhile, Lukman distracted the complainant by engaging her in a personal conversation and requested she followed her to Olukayode Plaza in the market to get a mobile phone. On getting to the market area, he abandoned her and left. On getting back to the shop, the complainant discovered that her child was missing with no trace of Abosede, the supposed sister of the man she followed to the market. Thus, a report was made 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 admitted to abducting the child and other children from Ondo and Osun states and selling them to one Sabina Izuorah, ‘f’, aged 62 years in Ihiala, Anambra State, at the rate of N1m per child. Subsequently, Izuorah was arrested in Ihiala while the babies were found in her custody.
The police boss gave the names of the victims as Baby Favour, female, three weeks old; Baby Chidera, female, two weeks old; Baby Chinyere, female, two months and five days old and Baby Uzoma, male, one week old.
He added, “Also, on the 14th of January 2025, 10 children sold by Mrs Izuorah were rescued from various locations, and they were identified by their parents. They include Dauda Alarape (male, three and half years), Babalola David (male, four years), Asaolu Pamilerin (seven years), Ayomide Abass (male, two years, stolen from Orita-Obele, Akure, Komolafe Oluwasekemi (female, four years, stolen from Igado, Ilesha) Adedeji Olalekan (male, six years), Ahmed Abdulrasaq (male, five. years), stolen from Ibodi Town, Osun State, Mary Wuraola (female, two years), stolen from Ilesha, Osun State, Mubarak Akinwunmi (male, six years, stolen from Osogbo, Osun State) and Unknown child (name/parents yet to be identified, stolen from Osun State).
Afolabi said all the suspects would soon be charged in court after the completion of the investigation.
