A suspected member of a child-stealing and trafficking syndicate, Adejoke Popoola, has confessed to selling two sets of children she gave birth to and stealing other children for sale.
Speaking at the Oyo State Police Command headquarters in Ibadan on Monday, Popoola said she joined the alleged operation in October 2024.
She claimed she sold a newborn boy and twins, with the twins reportedly sold to a clinic in Ogeere for N300,000.
“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.
“I have sold two sets of children, a newborn boy and twins as well, last year. I sold the twins to … clinic; she also resells them to her customers in Lagos. She has a baby industry. When the owner of the pregnancy rejects the pregnancy, that is when I sell. Sometimes I get N80,000 or N120,000 for each child I sell.
“The clinic in Ogeere gave me N300,000 for the twins,” she said.
Popoola said she had seven children, with some already married. She said her youngest is six, while her eldest is 34.
She also admitted stealing children by pretending to be looking for a house to rent.
“I steal babies. I will go to their place and say I want to rent a house. Then, if I do not see anyone, if I see their children, I will just steal their children,” she said.
She said a woman she worked with at Ogeere Market taught her the act.
Popoola also claimed she sometimes disguised herself as a spiritualist, targeting parents with 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. So, I will promise them that I can help them to heal, then I will go and pick another person’s child for them,” she said.
She also recounted allegedly stealing three-year-old Ifakunle Ifagbenro during an Egungun festival in Oyo Town.
“I went to an Egungun festival to steal a child, Ifakunle. I woke up early and asked a bike man to drive me to the place where they were holding the Egungun festival, so he drove me to the house.
“When I entered the house, they were praying, so I joined them and I even gave them money for the prayer.
“When the Egungun left, the boy told his mother that he did not want to stay at home and wanted to join the procession. So, I volunteered to help hold the boy.
“I joined them for the procession and, in the evening, I picked up the boy, laid him on my back and ran away with him,” she said.
Popoola claimed six of the 19 children she allegedly kidnapped had died.
“About six children died from the 19 children I have kidnapped, but 13 are alive,” she said.
The Oyo State Police Command said it had uncovered the suspected interstate syndicate, rescued 17 children and arrested seven suspects.
Commissioner of Police Abimbola Olugbenga said the investigation began with a petition dated July 29, 2026, submitted by Popoola, also known as Orente Alagbo.
He said detectives later linked her to Ifakunle’s disappearance during the June 29 masquerade festival in Oyo Town. Popoola was arrested on August 4 and allegedly admitted leaving the event with the child.
Olugbenga said her statement led police to more than 15 children allegedly stolen from churches, parties and other events in and outside Oyo State.
He said Popoola identified Adekanbi Janet, also known as Hosanna, as her alleged partner. Janet was traced to Mowe, Ogun State, where four children aged two to four and two pregnant women were allegedly rescued.
The CP said information from Janet helped police rescue Ifakunle around Gbagi, Ibadan, on August 20.
On September 2, detectives travelled to Agbor, Delta State, where four children allegedly stolen from Oyo were rescued. Christopher Joy, 48, and Rosemary Jesse, 53, were arrested.
Olugbenga said the investigation also uncovered allegations that children who died in custody were sold to suspected ritualists. This led to the arrest of Muritala Fasasi, an Alfa, and Yakubu Azeez, a herbalist.
The police said six children died. They were Musharaf Lawal Tajudeen, two; Greatness Adeagbo, five; Sainat Amoo, two; Taiwo Usman, two; Daniel Solomon Olayinka, seven; and Miracle Olaniyi, four.
Olugbenga urged parents and guardians who recently lost children to visit the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, to identify the rescued children and reunite them with their families.
