Oyo State Police have uncovered a child trafficking network that preyed on families at crowded events, leading to the rescue of 17 children and the recovery of six bodies after a suspect confessed to stealing 19 children. The investigation began when Ifakunle Ifagbenro disappeared on June 29, 2026, during a festival in Oyo Town. His disappearance triggered a police investigation that would expose a network of child traffickers operating across three states.
The arrest of suspect Adejoke Popoola on August 4 led to a confession that revealed the scale of the operation. Popoola admitted to stealing 19 children from churches, parties and other crowded gatherings, selling them to baby factories for prices ranging from ₦80,000 to ₦900,000. The investigation led to rescues in Oyo, Ogun and Delta states, saving 17 children aged from infants to seven years. Tragically, six others died in captivity.
Seven suspects now face charges as police urge parents to remain vigilant at crowded gatherings. The case has raised urgent questions about how such a network could operate across state lines without detection, and how children could be taken from places of worship and celebration without immediate alarm.
This is not the first time baby factories have been uncovered in Nigeria. The 2019 raid on a baby factory in Abia State, where pregnant women were held captive and their babies sold, exposed the scale of the illegal trade. The difference is that this time, the victims were not just newborns but children taken from their families.
The winners: the 17 rescued children, who have been returned to their families; the police, who have made significant arrests; and the members of the public who provided information. The losers: the families of the six children who died in captivity; the suspects, who face prosecution; and the Nigerian state, which has failed to protect its most vulnerable citizens.
Bottom Line: Seventeen children are free. Six are dead. The traffickers are in custody. The question is whether the government will address the root causes of the trade or just prosecute the foot soldiers.