Mathew Ugochukwu and his wife Oluwarankami Ugochukwu have been arrested in Mowe, Ogun State, after stealing a four-month-old baby and two other children. Police recovered all three children from their hideout in the Kekere Ekun area of Mowe on Monday evening.
Oluwarankami had visited the baby's mother at a clinic in Mowe on Saturday, where the woman was admitted and ill. She convinced the mother to let her care for the infant while she rested, then disappeared with the child. Detectives from Mowe Division, led by Divisional Police Officer CSP Folake Afeniforo, mobilised after receiving information about the theft. They placed motor parks and key locations across the area on alert.
Using intelligence and surveillance, the detectives tracked the couple to their hideout at about 7:55pm on Monday and rescued the stolen baby alongside two other children found in their home. One of the recovered children had been reported missing in 2024. Police spokesperson DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi said the biological parents of all three children identified them after their recovery.
State Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajuni praised the swift action of the Mowe Division officers. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department at Eleweran for a full investigation into what police believe is a wider child trafficking network. Ojajuni reaffirmed the command's commitment to tackling child trafficking, abductions, and violent crimes across Ogun State.
