A suspected child trafficker has admitted selling her own babies and abducting others for sale, as Oyo State Police revealed a wider syndicate that stole children across multiple states and may have sold some deceased victims for rituals.
Adejoke Popoola, also known as Orente Alagbo, told journalists on Monday at the Oyo State Police Command headquarters in Ibadan that she began the activities in October 2024 while selling herbs at Ariyo Bus Stop, Olunloyo. She said she had sold a newborn boy and a set of twins. The twins went to a clinic in Ogeere for ₦300,000; the clinic owner then resold them in Lagos.
“God blessed me with the gift of pregnancy. Anytime a man has sex with me twice, I get pregnant, and it is always difficult to abort,” she said. “I have sold two sets of children… When the owner of the pregnancy rejects the pregnancy, that is when I sell. Sometimes I get ₦80,000 or ₦120,000 for each child.”
Popoola, who has seven children of her own aged between six and 34, also confessed to stealing children. She described posing as a prospective tenant to enter homes and take unattended children, or acting as a spiritualist who promised to heal disabled children before substituting them with abducted ones. She said a woman at Ogeere Market taught her the methods.
One high-profile case involved three-year-old Ifakunle Ifagbenro, stolen during an Egungun festival in Oyo Town on 29 June. Popoola said she joined the family in prayer, later volunteered to hold the boy during the procession, then fled with him on her back in the evening.
She claimed she had kidnapped 19 children in total; six died in custody and 13 survived.
Commissioner of Police Abimbola Olugbenga confirmed the breakthrough at a press briefing in Eleyele, Ibadan. The investigation started with a petition from Popoola dated 29 July 2026 but expanded after detectives linked her to Ifakunle’s disappearance. Photographs and video from the festival showed her with the boy. She was arrested on 4 August and allegedly admitted involvement in more than 15 abductions of children aged two to seven from churches, parties and other events.
Popoola named Adekanbi Janet (alias Hosanna) as a partner. Police traced Janet to Mowe, Ogun State, and rescued four children aged two to four plus two pregnant young women from her custody. Janet allegedly kept stolen children pending sale and cared for the pregnant women until they gave birth. Information from her led to Ifakunle’s recovery in the Gbagi area of Ibadan on 20 August.
On 2 September detectives travelled to Agbor, Delta State, and rescued four more children allegedly stolen from Oyo State. Two suspects, Christopher Joy, 48, and Rosemary Jesse, 53, were arrested there.
The network also allegedly had a ritual dimension. When children died in custody, suspects reportedly sold the bodies to ritualists. This led to the arrest of Muritala Fasasi, an Alfa, and Yakubu Azeez, a herbalist.
Police have so far rescued 17 children and arrested seven suspects. The six deceased children were named as Musharaf Lawal Tajudeen (2), Greatness Adeagbo (5), Sainat Amoo (2), Taiwo Usman (2), Daniel Solomon Olayinka (7) and Miracle Olaniyi (4).
Olugbenga urged parents and guardians who have lost children recently to visit the command headquarters in Eleyele to identify the rescued minors and reunite with them. The investigation continues.