Six Abducted Children Die in Captivity, 17 Rescued as Police Arrest Seven Suspects in Oyo

A major investigation into an alleged child-stealing and human-trafficking network operating across several Nigerian states has uncovered the deaths of six children in captivity, while 17 other children have been rescued and seven suspects arrested.

The development was announced in Oyo State after an intelligence-led investigation exposed a criminal network allegedly involved in abducting young children, moving them across state boundaries and concealing them in different locations.

The investigation reportedly began with the disappearance of a three-year-old boy, Ifakunle Ifagbenro, during a masquerade festival in Oyo Town on June 29, 2026.

The child had reportedly accompanied his father to a family compound during the festival when a woman who had arrived in the area days earlier allegedly offered to carry him.

The woman and the child subsequently disappeared, prompting an investigation that would later uncover a much larger network.

Investigators reportedly relied on video footage, witness statements and other information gathered during the inquiry before identifying a woman linked to the disappearance.

She was arrested in August and allegedly provided information that led detectives to other suspected members of the network.

The investigation reportedly revealed that the criminal operation had been active for an extended period and allegedly targeted children between the ages of two and seven.

The children were said to have been taken from different environments, including churches, social gatherings, parties and other places where parents and guardians could be separated from them.

Investigators also reportedly uncovered evidence suggesting that some children were moved outside Oyo State after being taken.

One of the suspects allegedly identified another woman believed to be connected to the network. Police subsequently traced her to Mowe in Ogun State, where four children were rescued.

Two pregnant young women were also reportedly found at the location.

Investigators alleged that the women were being kept and cared for until they gave birth, with the newborns potentially intended to become part of the criminal network.

The investigation later expanded beyond Ogun State.

A team of investigators travelled to Agbor in Delta State, where four additional children allegedly taken from Oyo were rescued.

Two suspects were arrested during the operation and were reportedly questioned about their alleged roles in the movement and concealment of the children.

The investigation took an even more disturbing turn when information gathered from the suspects allegedly pointed to the deaths of some children while they were being held.

Six children have since been identified as having died in captivity.

They were named as two-year-old Musharaf Lawal Tajudeen, five-year-old Greatness Adeagbo, two-year-old Sainat Amoo, two-year-old Taiwo Usman, seven-year-old Daniel Solomon Olayinka and four-year-old Miracle Olaniyi.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain under investigation.

Police also alleged that the bodies of some children who died in captivity were sold to individuals suspected of involvement in ritual activities.

The allegation led investigators to two additional suspects identified as Muritala Fasasi, described as an Alfa, and Yakubu Azeez, described as a herbalist.

Both men were reportedly arrested and questioned as part of the investigation.

The allegations have added a particularly disturbing dimension to the case because they suggest that the criminal network may have operated beyond conventional child trafficking and could have involved individuals seeking children for other purposes.

However, the claims remain allegations at this stage, and the suspects are entitled to due process as investigators continue to establish the facts.

The investigation also reportedly uncovered claims that some children were sold for amounts ranging from about N500,000 to N600,000.

The alleged transactions indicate the scale of the criminal enterprise and the financial incentives that may have encouraged members of the network to target vulnerable children.

One of the suspects reportedly told investigators that she had stolen several children before her arrest and described methods allegedly used to gain access to them.

She was said to have approached children when their parents or guardians were distracted or absent.

Investigators also alleged that the suspect sometimes gained the confidence of parents at religious or spiritual gatherings before separating them from their children.

Another disturbing allegation was that children with disabilities were among those targeted.

The suspect reportedly claimed that she sometimes approached parents by offering to help with the treatment or healing of their children.

If established, such tactics would demonstrate how criminal networks can exploit the desperation and trust of families seeking help for vulnerable children.

The investigation has so far resulted in the rescue of 17 children.

Those rescued include three-year-old Ifakunle Ifagbenro, whose disappearance reportedly triggered the wider investigation.

Other rescued children were identified as Musibau Olasupo, 5; Sulaimon Osamo, 7; Murina Fidaus, 3; Aminat Yusuf, 3; Taiwo Olamilekan, 3; Rafiat Waheed Babalola, 2; Quwiyat Alade, 5; Rejoice Divine, 3; Alhaji Divine, 5; Eniolorunda, 3; Victoria, 3; Isoma Prince, 3; Roqeeba, 4; Boluwatife Odedeyi, 3; and Ireoluwa Elizabeth Olapade, 7.

A nine-day-old baby was also among those rescued.

The rescue operations across Oyo, Ogun and Delta highlight the interstate nature of the alleged network and the difficulty security agencies face when criminal groups move victims from one jurisdiction to another.

Children taken in one state can quickly be transported elsewhere, making investigations more complicated and requiring cooperation between different police commands and other security agencies.

The case has also raised renewed concerns about the safety of children at public gatherings.

Parents often allow children to interact with relatives, neighbours and strangers during festivals, religious events and social occasions. Criminals can allegedly exploit such crowded environments to separate children from their families.

Security experts and child-protection advocates have repeatedly stressed the importance of close supervision of children, particularly during large public gatherings.

Parents are also advised to be cautious when strangers offer to help with children or make promises involving medical treatment, spiritual assistance or other forms of intervention.

The case has shown how quickly a missing-child investigation can expand into a much larger criminal investigation when information from one suspect leads to previously unknown victims and accomplices.

The police investigation is continuing, with authorities working to establish the full structure of the alleged network and determine how many people may have been involved.

Investigators are also expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the six deaths and determine whether other missing children could be connected to the network.

Families who have lost children have been urged to contact the police command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, as authorities work to identify rescued children and reunite them with their relatives.

The appeal could help investigators determine whether some of the rescued children were reported missing in other parts of the country.

It could also provide information that may help authorities identify additional victims or suspects.

The investigation has highlighted the importance of immediately reporting missing children.

A delay in reporting a disappearance can make it more difficult for security agencies to trace a victim, particularly when criminal networks allegedly operate across state borders.

Authorities have also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities involving children.

Particular caution has been advised around people who claim to offer traditional, spiritual or medical solutions while attempting to separate children from their parents or guardians.

The arrests are expected to help investigators uncover more details about the alleged network, including its recruitment methods, transportation routes, buyers and other possible locations where children may have been kept.

The police are also expected to determine whether the suspects acted independently or were operating under the direction of a larger criminal organisation.

The discovery of victims in Ogun and Delta suggests that the investigation may extend beyond Oyo State as authorities attempt to trace the full network.

The case has once again drawn attention to the wider problem of child trafficking in Nigeria and the vulnerability of children who can be moved between communities without immediate detection.

Beyond the criminal investigation, the rescue of the 17 children will also require careful attention to their welfare.

Children who have experienced abduction, separation from their families or prolonged confinement may require medical assessment, psychological support and assistance with reintegration into their communities.

The families of the six children who died are also left to deal with an extremely painful loss as authorities attempt to establish exactly what happened to the victims.

For now, seven suspects have been arrested in connection with the investigation, while the authorities continue to search for other individuals who may have participated in the alleged activities.

The case remains active, and the allegations against the suspects will ultimately have to be tested through the appropriate legal process.

The discovery has nevertheless provided investigators with an opportunity to dismantle a suspected network that allegedly preyed on children and vulnerable families across multiple states.

The rescue of 17 children has offered some relief to their families, but the confirmation that six others died in captivity has underscored the deadly consequences of child trafficking and the urgent need for stronger protection of children.

As investigations continue, authorities are expected to focus on identifying more victims, locating additional suspects and establishing the full circumstances surrounding the deaths.

For parents and guardians, the case serves as a stark reminder of the need for vigilance, especially at crowded events and in situations where unfamiliar people seek access to children.

For security agencies, it highlights the importance of rapid information sharing and cooperation across state boundaries when dealing with missing children and trafficking investigations.

The Oyo case is now one of the latest major investigations to expose the dangers facing children who become victims of organised criminal networks, with authorities still working to determine the full extent of the operation.