The Ogun State Police Command has dismantled an organised child trafficking and illegal surrogacy syndicate operating under the cover of an orphanage, rescuing seven children and arresting five principal suspects in an operation that exposed the planned sale of babies for as much as ₦1.5 million each.
Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, PhD, disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, describing the breakthrough as a major stride in the fight against child trafficking and related crimes in the state.
According to the police, the operation was carried out by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) following the transfer of a case from Idanyin Divisional Headquarters for in-depth investigation.
The case began on November 28, 2025, when a woman identified as Amara reported the abduction of her six-year-old son, Samuel Honesty, at the Idanyin Police Station. Preliminary investigations led to the arrest and prosecution of Chioma Honest and Praise Honesty for suspected foul play, after which the matter was escalated to the SCID.
A breakthrough occurred on January 21, 2026, when the abducted child was dropped at Gowon Police Station in Lagos State. The boy reportedly told officers that he had been taken to Joyful Kids Orphanage in Badagry and identified “Madam Joy” as the operator of the facility.
“Acting on this intelligence, our operatives conducted a coordinated operation at the orphanage and successfully rescued six additional children, bringing the total number of rescued minors to seven,” the Commissioner said.
The rescued children were identified as Ramsey Chiedozie (8), Rafael Rofiu (6), Kazeem Chiedozie (6), Segun Uthman (9), Ola Abdulhakeem Abdulrasheed (9), David Oyelese (9), and Samuel Honesty (6). The police confirmed that Samuel has since been safely reunited with his mother.
Investigators also discovered two pregnant teenagers, Tanimola Martins (18) and Favour Martins (18), at the facility. The young women reportedly confessed that they were recruited to carry pregnancies for the purpose of selling their babies to pre-arranged buyers at a fee of ₦1.5 million per child, allegedly facilitated by the orphanage operator.
The principal suspect, Joy Chiedozie (36), also known as Madam Joy, was arrested at the orphanage. Police said she confessed to purchasing the abducted child for ₦1.5 million, paying ₦900,000 in cash and ₦600,000 via bank transfer to a woman identified as Kelly, before reselling the child to a man known as Mr Emmanuel, who is currently on the run.
Further investigations revealed that Yusuf Adebowale (31), the orphanage driver, allegedly acted as an uncertified surrogate agent, connecting pregnant girls with prospective buyers. Other suspects arrested include Martins Favour (18), Tanimola Martins (18), and Rachael Chiedozie (16).
The remaining six rescued children have been handed over to the Ogun State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for protective custody, welfare assessment and family tracing.
Police said efforts are ongoing to apprehend Mr. Emmanuel and other buyers, trace Kelly and related financial transactions, identify additional victims and accomplices, and dismantle the wider trafficking network.
Reiterating the Command’s stance, CP Ogunlowo said, “The Ogun State Police Command maintains zero tolerance for child trafficking, illegal adoption and the exploitation of vulnerable children and young women.”
He urged members of the public to report suspicious orphanage operations, illegal adoption practices and human trafficking activities to the nearest police station, assuring that the Command remains committed to safeguarding lives and upholding the rule of law.
