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The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a husband and wife suspected to be involved in child stealing and rescued three children in the Mowe area of the state.
This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi.
According to the statement, the suspects are Oluwarankami Kehinde Ugochukwu (female) and her husband, Ugochukwu Mathew (male).
“The arrest followed a complaint lodged at Mowe Division on 17/05/2026 at about 10:00 a.m. by a resident of Omo Onile, Mowe, who reported that while she was receiving medical attention at a clinic in Mowe on 16/05/2026, one of the suspects, Oluwarankami Kehinde Ugochukwu (female), visited under the guise of checking on her condition, deceitfully collected her four-month-old baby on the pretext of assisting with care while the mother rested, and thereafter absconded with the child.
“Upon receipt of the report, detectives of the division were immediately mobilised. Motor parks and strategic locations within the area were placed under surveillance while intelligence-led operations were intensified.
“Acting on credible intelligence, detectives tracked the suspects to their hideout at Kekere Ekun area of Mowe on 18/05/2026 at about 7:55pm, where the stolen child was rescued alongside two other children found in their possession,” the statement read.
It added that the husband and wife suspects were arrested and taken into custody.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that one of the children found with the suspects had earlier been declared missing in a 2024 child-stealing case, in which the child was taken from a hairdressing salon using the same deceptive method of pretending to offer assistance.
“The biological parents of two of the rescued children have been contacted and have positively identified their wards,” the statement added.
Rescued children
Babaseyi said the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, for discreet investigation.
The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the swift response, professionalism, and commitment of the officers and men of the Mowe Division, noting that their proactive efforts led to the arrest of the suspects and rescue of the children.
He reiterated the command’s resolve to sustain the fight against child trafficking, abduction, and other violent crimes across the state.
Members of the public were urged to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements or criminal activities through the Ogun State Police Command emergency lines.
