A suspected child trafficker, Adejoke Popoola, has confessed to selling two sets of children she gave birth to and allegedly stealing 19 others for financial gain.
Popoola reportedly gained access to children by posing as a prospective tenant in some cases, while on other occasions she allegedly disguised herself as a spiritualist to gain the confidence of parents before taking their children.
The suspect, who claimed to have been involved in the alleged activities since October 2024, made the disclosure on Monday at the Oyo State Police Command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, during an interaction with journalists.
Popoola said she sold a newborn boy and a set of twins, disclosing that the twins fetched N300,000 from a clinic in Ogeere. She added that she sometimes received between N80,000 and N120,000 for individual children.
She said, “I have sold two sets of children, a newborn boy and twins as well. I sold the twins to a clinic, which also resells them to customers in Lagos. The clinic in Ogeere gave me N300,000 for the twins.”
The suspect, who said she had seven biological children, claimed that an acquaintance she met while working at Ogeere Market introduced her to child theft.
She also revealed that she sometimes posed as a spiritualist, allegedly targeting families seeking help for children living with disabilities.
“Sometimes, I disguise myself as a spiritualist. Parents bring their disabled children to me because they cannot talk, sit or walk. I will promise them that I can help them to heal, then I will go and pick another person’s child for them,” she stated.
Popoola further narrated how she allegedly abducted three-year-old Ifakunle Ifagbenro during an Egungun festival in Oyo Town, after volunteering to assist the boy’s mother with him during the procession.
According to her, she carried the child away on her back after the procession and fled from the area, an incident that later became a major lead in the police investigation.
The Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, said the investigation into the syndicate began after a petition submitted on July 29, 2026, before detectives uncovered a wider network allegedly involved in the movement and sale of children across state borders.
Olugbenga said Ifakunle disappeared during the masquerade festival on June 29, adding that photographs and video recordings from the event showed Popoola carrying the boy shortly before he went missing.
He said Popoola was arrested on August 4 and her statement allegedly helped investigators uncover her suspected involvement in the disappearance of more than 15 children, aged between two and seven, from different locations, including churches and social gatherings.
The police boss said Popoola subsequently named Adekanbi Janet, also known as Hosanna, as an alleged accomplice, leading detectives to Mowe, Ogun State, where four children and two pregnant women were reportedly rescued.
Olugbenga added that information obtained during the investigation led to the rescue of Ifakunle in the Gbagi area of Ibadan on August 20.
He further disclosed that detectives on September 2 travelled to Agbor, Delta State, where four children allegedly taken from Oyo were rescued from suspected buyers. Two suspects, Christopher Joy, 48, and Rosemary Jesse, 53, were arrested.
The CP said the investigation had also taken a disturbing turn with allegations that some children who died while in the custody of the suspects were sold to people suspected of using human remains for ritual purposes.
He said the development led to the arrest of Muritala Fasasi, an Alfa, and Yakubu Azeez, a herbalist, while six children were reportedly confirmed dead.
Olugbenga said the command had so far rescued 17 children and urged parents and guardians who had lost children to visit the police headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, to identify those rescued and facilitate their reunion with their families.