Ondo police recover stolen babies from Anambra, arrest suspects

A child trafficking syndicate that specializes in stealing children from Ondo and Osun States have been arrested by operatives of the Ondo State Police Command

The suspects, Lukman Isiaka, 43; Abosede Olanipekun, 23; and Sabira Izuorah, 68, were apprehended with no fewer than 14 babies and toddlers that had been trafficked to Anambra State since 2023.

The babies and toddlers were recovered from the ‘orphanage’ of Izuorah in Ihiala, Anambra State, where they were trafficked to by Lukman and Abosede, who are both a couple.

Among the stolen babies were three weeks old, two weeks old, and two months old, among others.

While being paraded at the police headquarters in Akure, Izuorah, who claimed to have retired as a Director from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Anambra State, admitted to having received the children from the couple.

“Lukman and his wife brought a total of 11 children to me. I don’t pay them; it is the adoptive parents that pay them. The adoptive parents don’t pay me; they give us food items and supplies.

“I stopped Lukman and his wife from bringing children for me in November, 2024. All the children were no longer with me, but I went to recover them from their adoptive parents. It didn’t start with me, and it will not end with me.”

On his part, Lukman, stated that Izuorah introduced him and his wife to the illicit trade when he left Ondo State to work in Anambra as a bricklayer.

According to him, Izuorah always pays him N500,000 per child, which she in turn sells to her prospective buyers for N1 million and above.

“I have been stealing children since 2023. I have given a total of 11 children to Izuorah. The method my wife and I use to steal the children is when we are going, and we see any child roaming about, we now call them that we will buy soft drinks and biscuits for them.

“She normally gives us N500,000 for each child that we bring to her. I met Izuorah when we went to Anambra to work. I’m a bricklayer. She was the one who introduced me to the business after training me, and since then I have been giving her children.

The Commissioner of Police in the State, Wilfred Afolabi, stated that the arrested couple led the police operatives to Anambra State, where Izuorah was arrested and moved down to Akure.

“During interrogation, the suspects admitted to abducting the child and other children from Ondo and Osun States and selling them to Sabira Izuorah, ‘f,’ age 62 years, in Ihiala, Anambra State, at the rate of One Million Naira (₦1,000,000) per child.”