Oyo police rescue 17 children, bust interstate child-stealing ring

The Oyo State Police Command has rescued 17 children and arrested 7 suspects implicit an alleged interstate child-stealing and human-trafficking web operating crossed parts of Nigeria.

The Commissioner of Police successful the state, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, disclosed this on Monday during a property briefing astatine the Police State Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan.

Olugbenga said the probe began aft a petition was received connected July 29, 2026, and was aboriginal transferred to the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad connected August 3.

According to him, detectives moving connected the lawsuit were led to the disappearance of a three-year-old boy, Ifakunle Ifagbenro, during an yearly masquerade festival successful Oyo Town connected June 29.

“The kid attended the festival with his father, but Popoola offered to transportation him and aboriginal near the venue with the child. She was arrested connected August 4 aft detectives traced her utilizing video footage and different grounds from the event,” the commissioner said.

Olugbenga said the suspect’s apprehension opened the mode for investigators to uncover a wider network...