We Sell Each Child Stolen From Akure, Ilesa For N500,000 — Suspects

 Ondo Police Bust Child Trafficking Syndicate, Rescue 14 Children

The Ondo State Police Command has apprehended members of a child trafficking syndicate, who confessed to selling each abducted child for ₦500,000 to their buyers.

The suspects—Lukman Isiaka (43), Abosede Olanipekun (23), and Sabira Izuorah (68)—were arrested while in possession of 14 babies and toddlers stolen from Akure (Ondo State) and Ilesa (Osun State). The children were found in the custody of Izuorah, who claimed to run an orphanage in Ihiala, Anambra State.

Among the rescued victims were four newborns aged between two weeks and three months, alongside ten other children.

Confessions of the Suspects

Speaking at the Ondo State Police Headquarters in Akure, Izuorah, a former Director at the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs in Anambra State, admitted to receiving the stolen children.

“I run a registered orphanage, Clarion Children’s Care and Reforms Initiatives, which began full operations in 2020. Lukman and his wife brought me 11 children. I don’t pay them directly; rather, the adoptive parents provide food supplies and donations,” she explained.

However, Lukman, who identified himself as a bricklayer, claimed that Izuorah introduced him to child trafficking when he moved to Anambra State for work in 2023.

“Izuorah trained me and my wife in the trade. We lured children by offering them biscuits and soft drinks before taking them to a motor park. From there, we transported them to Anambra State, where we handed them over to Izuorah,” he confessed.

According to him, Izuorah paid ₦500,000 per child and later resold them for at least ₦1 million each.

Police Investigation and Arrests

The Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, stated that intelligence-led policing led to the arrest of Lukman and Abosede in Ottah village, Edo State. They later helped the police locate Izuorah in Anambra State, from where she was transferred to Akure.

Afolabi revealed that the investigation began when a mother in Akure reported that her child went missing after Abosede distracted her while pretending to buy biscuits. Lukman further lured the mother away, giving his wife the opportunity to kidnap the child.

The police successfully traced the operation, uncovering that the syndicate had sold children at ₦1 million per victim.

List of Rescued Children

According to the police, among the 14 rescued children were:

• Baby Favour (female, 3 weeks old)

• Baby Chidera (female, 2 weeks old)

• Baby Chinyere (female, 2 months old)

• Baby Uzoma (male, 1 week old)

Ten older children were also rescued, including:

• Dauda Alarape (male, 3½ years old)

• Babalola David (male, 4 years old)

• Asaolu Pamilerin (7 years old)

• Ayomide Abass (male, 2 years old, stolen from Orita-Obele, Akure)

• Komolafe Oluwasekemi (female, 4 years old, stolen from Igado, Ilesa)

• Adedeji Olalekan (male, 6½ years old)

• Ahmed Abdulrasaq (male, 5½ years old, stolen from Ibodi, Osun State)

• Mary Wuraola (female, 2 years old, stolen from Ilesa, Osun State)

• Mubarak Akinwunmi (male, 6 years old, stolen from Osogbo, Osun State)

• An unidentified child whose parents are yet to be found

Ongoing Investigations

The police commissioner noted that several children remain missing, and efforts are ongoing to rescue more victims and arrest additional members of the trafficking network.