Police arrest couple for alleged child abduction in Ogun, rescue three minors

Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have apprehended a couple, Mathew Ugochukwu and his wife, Oluwarankami Ugochukwu, for allegedly abducting a four-month-old baby and unlawfully keeping two other children in the Mowe area of the state.

The suspects were arrested following a swift police operation triggered by a report that a nursing mother, who was receiving treatment at a clinic in Mowe, had been deceived into handing over her infant.

According to sources, Oluwarankami had visited the mother at the clinic on Saturday under the guise of offering assistance.

She reportedly persuaded the sick mother to allow her to take the baby home temporarily so she could rest and focus on her recovery. However, shortly after leaving the clinic with the child, she allegedly disappeared.

Confirming the incident on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Ogun State Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said detectives from the Mowe Division acted promptly on receiving the report.

He disclosed that the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Folake Afeniforo, immediately mobilised her team, placing motor parks and other strategic points within the area on red alert to prevent the suspects from escaping.

“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 7:55 p.m., where the stolen child was successfully recovered alongside two other children found in their possession,” Babaseyi stated.

He added that the couple was arrested on the spot and taken into custody for further questioning.

READ ALSO: Ogun Police kill suspected kidnap leader, seize rifle, N2m

The police spokesperson further revealed that one of the children recovered during the operation had previously been declared missing in 2024, raising suspicions about a possible wider child trafficking network.

According to him, the biological parents of the rescued children were contacted and they positively identified their wards.

The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, for comprehensive investigation aimed at uncovering the full scope of the alleged syndicate and prosecuting all individuals connected to the crime.

Reacting to the development, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, commended the swift response and professionalism displayed by officers of the Mowe Division.

He reiterated the command’s commitment to combating child trafficking, abduction and other violent crimes across the state.

The police assured residents that efforts are ongoing to ensure the safety of children and to dismantle any criminal networks operating within the state.