Ogun State Police Command has arrested and paraded a 54-year-old woman and other gang members for child trafficking.
He suspects paraded on Monday at the Ogun State Police Command Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for various criminal activities ranging from kidnapping, theft and sale of children for illegal adoption among others.
The new commissioner for police in the state, Lanre Ogunlowo, while parading the suspects at the state police headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, the state capital, promised the reinvigoration of the security architecture of the state for better security of life and property.
ThankGod Taiwo aged 35, 54-year-old Patience Chikieze, and 43-year-old Oluyinka were alleged to be members of a child stealing and illegal adoption syndicate headed by one Mama Faith currently remanded for related offence at Ibara Correctional Center, Abeokuta.
Taiwo of the Oluke area of Ijoko Ota was said to have been picked up in his hideout after kidnapping seven-year-old Mercy Akande whom he sold to Patience Chikieze for N650,000 at Ipaja Roundabout, Lagos State.
The state Commissioner of Police said that on December 29, Chikieze was arrested in the Lafenwa-Itele area of the state after which she led detectives to her house where Mercy was rescued unhurt.
She was said to have confessed that her waiting buyer rejected the stolen child because she was overaged.
“Earlier in August 2024, Patience Chikieze bought another stolen child, Mohees Daniel 3yrs old from ThankGod for N250,000.00 and she gave the child for adoption for Three Million Naira (N3,000,000.00),” he said.
“Patience Chikieze also bought David Jesulayomi from Oluyinka Folake of Papalanto, Ewekoro, Ogun State for one million five hundred thousand
“The child was also recovered from the adopter Oluyinka Folake who confessed that the stolen child, David Jesulayomi was brought to her by one woman from Osun state before she sold him to Patience Chikieze.
“Patience Chikieze, Oluyinka Folake, and Thankgod Taiwo belong to a criminal syndicate working for one Mama Faith who is currently remanded in Ibara Correctional Center for related offences.
“Patience Chikieze created Prema Consult WhatsApp group to enable people to contact her under the guise of children adoption.
“The suspects confessed to have committed the crime and will be charged to court after completing the investigation into the case”.
The new state commissioner of police who resumed about three weeks ago as the substantive helmsman in the state has however warned the criminal elements to either have a change of heart or have the rough edges of the law to contend with.
While promising a tough time for criminal elements in the state, he urged residents of Ogun to always support the police with timely intelligence to help fight all forms of criminalities to a standstill.
