Adejoke Popoola: Confesses to Child Trafficking, Selling Own Kids in Oyo

• Adejoke Popoola confessed to selling two of her own children and stealing 19 others since October 2024.
• She employed various methods, including posing as a house renter or spiritualist, to abduct children for sale.
• The Oyo State Police Command rescued 17 children and arrested seven suspects linked to the child trafficking syndicate.
• Commissioner Abimbola Olugbenga revealed the operation uncovered a wider network involved in child stealing and sale across states.
• Six of the 19 children Popoola allegedly stole have died, while 13 are reportedly still alive.

The Oyo State Police Command's intervention underscores the active enforcement against child trafficking syndicates, signaling a heightened risk for individuals or organizations involved in illicit child-related activities.

Adejoke Popoola, a suspected member of a child trafficking syndicate, has admitted to selling two sets of her own biological children and orchestrating the theft of 19 other minors for illicit sale. Speaking to journalists at the Oyo State Police Command headquarters in Ibadan, Popoola disclosed that her involvement in these alleged activities commenced in October 2024. She detailed the sale of a newborn boy and a set of twins, specifying that the twins were sold to a clinic located in Ogeere for N300,000. Popoola also claimed a unique fertility, stating she easily conceived and found abortions difficult, and indicated that she would sell children when their biological mothers rejected the pregnancies, typically for N80,000 or N120,000 per child.

Popoola, who is a mother of seven with her youngest child being six and eldest 34, described various methods she employed to steal children. She often disguised herself as someone seeking to rent a house, taking children when their parents were absent. She further claimed that a woman she worked with at Ogeere Market taught her these methods. In another deceptive tactic, Popoola posed as a spiritualist, targeting parents of children with disabilities by promising healing, only to swap them for other children. She combined these illicit activities with selling herbs at Ariyo Bus Stop, Olunloyo.

Among the specific incidents, Popoola recounted the alleged abduction of a three-year-old boy, Ifakunle Ifagbenro, during an Egungun festival in Oyo Town. Tragically, she admitted that six of the 19 children she allegedly kidnapped have since died, while 13 are reportedly still alive. She also alleged that the clinic in Ogeere, which purchased the twins, operated what she termed a 'baby industry,' reselling children to customers in Lagos.

The Oyo State Police Command has successfully uncovered and begun dismantling a suspected child-stealing and trafficking syndicate operating across multiple states. This significant breakthrough led to the rescue of 17 children and the arrest of seven suspects connected to the criminal enterprise. Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, shared these details during a press briefing held at the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.

This case highlights the active enforcement by the Oyo State Police against child trafficking syndicates, signaling a heightened risk for individuals or organizations involved in illicit child-related activities. The discovery of a network engaged in child stealing, movement, sale, and concealment underscores the severe threat posed by such criminal enterprises to vulnerable populations across Nigeria. The Oyo State Police Command's commitment to dismantling these operations reflects a broader effort to combat human trafficking.

Lawyers should advise clients on the severe criminal penalties for child trafficking under Nigerian law, which are designed to deter and punish those who exploit children. The ongoing efforts by law enforcement, as demonstrated by the rescue of 17 children and the arrest of seven suspects, indicate a robust and sustained campaign to identify and prosecute members of child stealing networks. This proactive approach by authorities like the Oyo State Police Command serves as a critical deterrent and a clear message regarding the legal consequences of engaging in such heinous crimes.

This case highlights the active enforcement by the Oyo State Police against child trafficking syndicates, signaling a heightened risk for individuals or organizations involved in illicit child-related activities. Lawyers should advise clients on the severe criminal penalties for child trafficking under Nigerian law and the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to dismantle such networks.

Source: Original reporting via Daily Trust.