The Ondo State Police Command has arrested three individuals allegedly involved in a child trafficking ring following a sting operation. The suspects Lukman Isiaka, 43; Abosede Olanipekun, 23; and Sabira Izuorah, 68 are accused of abducting and selling at least 14 babies and toddlers from Akure, Ondo State, and Ilesha, Osun State. The children, including infants aged between two weeks and two months, were recovered from Izuorah’s alleged orphanage, Clarion Children’s Care and Reforms Initiatives, in Ihiala, Anambra State.
Police investigations revealed that Lukman and Abosede trafficked the children to Izuorah’s orphanage for resale to adoptive parents. Izuorah, who claims to be a retired director from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs in Anambra State, admitted to receiving the children from the couple. She insisted her orphanage, which began operating in 2020, was registered, and she received food items from adoptive parents instead of payment. Izuorah further stated that the trafficking operation was not new and would likely continue.
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Lukman, a bricklayer, confessed that he had been involved in the trafficking since 2023, claiming that Izuorah had introduced him to the trade during a job in Anambra State. He revealed he was paid N500,000 for each child he delivered, while Izuorah sold the children for N1 million or more. Lukman described how he and his wife would entice children with biscuits and soft drinks before taking them on a motorbike to Anambra, where they handed them over to Izuorah.
The Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, praised the police for rescuing the victims. He noted that the couple was tracked to Ottah village in Edo State before investigators were led to Izuorah in Anambra. The investigation began after a report of a missing child in Akure, where the complainant claimed Abosede had lured her child away with the promise of biscuits while Lukman distracted her. When the complainant returned, both Abosede and her child were gone.
Afolabi confirmed that the suspects confessed to abducting children from Ondo and Osun States and selling them to Izuorah for N1 million each. While some children are still missing, efforts are underway to locate and rescue them. The suspects are expected to face prosecution once the investigation is complete.
