Police in Ogun State have arrested a husband and wife, Mathew Ugochukwu and Oluwarankami Ugochukwu, over the alleged abduction of a four-month-old baby in the Mowe area of the state.
The suspects were apprehended after detectives tracked them to a hideout where the stolen infant and two other children were recovered.
The incident reportedly began on Saturday when Oluwarankami visited the baby’s mother, who was receiving treatment at a clinic in Mowe. She allegedly convinced the sick mother to hand over the child temporarily, claiming she would help care for the baby while the woman rested.
However, she disappeared with the infant, triggering panic and a police search operation across the area.
Confirming the development on Wednesday, Ogun State Police spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, said officers from the Mowe Division immediately launched an operation after receiving information about the incident.
According to him, the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Folake Afeniforo, led detectives who placed motor parks and key locations on alert while surveillance efforts intensified.
“Acting on credible intelligence and sustained surveillance, detectives tracked the husband and wife duo to their hideout at Kekere Ekun area of Mowe on Monday at about 7:55pm, where the stolen child was successfully recovered alongside two other children found in their possession,” Babaseyi stated.
Police disclosed that one of the additional children recovered from the suspects had previously been declared missing in 2024, raising suspicions about possible involvement in a wider child trafficking operation.
Authorities said the biological parents of the recovered children have since identified them, while the suspects remain in police custody.
The case has now been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Eleweran for further investigation aimed at uncovering the full scope of the alleged syndicate and identifying other individuals connected to the crime.
Reacting to the arrests, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, praised officers of the Mowe Division for their swift response and professionalism.
He also reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling child trafficking, abduction and other violent crimes across the state.
