A 14-year-old girl identified as Christiana Olowokere, who was allegedly sold for N500,000, has been rescued by operatives of the Ogun State Police Command alongside two other children.
The victims were rescued in Ibafo after detectives attached to the Ibafo Division busted a three-woman suspected child-stealing syndicate.
The suspects were identified as Kikelomo Jimoh, 36; Kayode Elizabeth; and Blessing Anochike, 60.
The police spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, said the breakthrough followed an intelligence-led investigation into a case of child stealing.
According to him, one of the suspects, Kikelomo Jimoh, was first arrested and, during interrogation, confessed and led detectives to the residence of Blessing Anochike, where the children were kept.
The rescued children were identified as Christiana Olowokere, 14; Adeniji Rebecca, 12; and Olamilekan Abdurusheed, 16.
Babaseyi stated that preliminary investigation revealed that Christiana was allegedly sold for N500,000, while Olamilekan, who had earlier left his parents’ house, was allegedly abducted.
The police said they were still probing how 12-year-old Adeniji Rebecca ended up in the custody of the suspects.
“The swift intervention of the Police ensured the timely rescue of the three children, who are now safe. The suspects remain in custody,” Babaseyi added.
He stated that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, for further investigation to unravel the full extent of the syndicate.
The PRO quoted the Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, as commending the Ibafo detectives for the swift rescue and warning criminal gangs targeting children that the command would continue to track and dismantle their networks.
CP Ojajuni also called on parents, guardians, neighbours, community leaders, schools, transport operators and the general public to remain vigilant and promptly report any unexplained disappearance, suspicious movement, unusual custody arrangement or activity suggesting the sale, abduction or exploitation of a child.
