The Ogun state police command has arrested a husband and wife suspected of involvement in child stealing and rescued three children in the Mowe area of the state.
DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the command’s spokesperson confirmed the arrest in a statement on Wednesday, identifying the suspects as Oluwarankami Kehinde Ugochukwu (female) and Ugochukwu Mathew (male), her husband.
According to the police, the arrest followed a complaint lodged at the Mowe Division on May 17, 2026, at about 10:00 a.m. by a resident of Omo Onile, Mowe.
The complainant reported that on May 16, 2026, one of the suspects allegedly gained access to her newborn under false pretences.
“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,” the statement read.
The police said operatives immediately launched intelligence-led operations after receiving the report.
“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,” the statement added.
The suspects were later tracked to their hideout in the Kekere Ekun area of Mowe, where the stolen child and two other children were rescued.
“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 police said.
The command disclosed that preliminary findings linked one of the rescued children to an earlier disappearance case.
“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 statement noted.
The biological parents of two of the rescued children have since identified their wards, according to the police.
The spokesperson said the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.
CP Bode Ojajuni, Ogun state commissioner of police praised the operatives for their swift response and professionalism, saying their efforts led to the rescue of the children and the arrest of the suspects.
He also reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling child trafficking and other violent crimes across the state, urging residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies.
