By: Lauretta Fagbohun, Abeokuta.

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a husband and wife over alleged child stealing and rescued three children from their hideout in the Mowe area of the state.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, identifying the suspects as Oluwarankami Kehinde Ugochukwu and her husband, Ugochukwu Mathew.

According to the statement, the arrest followed a complaint lodged at the Mowe Divisional Headquarters on May 17, 2026, by a resident of Omo Onile, Mowe, who reported that her four-month-old baby had been stolen while she was receiving treatment at a clinic in the area.

Police said the female suspect allegedly approached the nursing mother under the guise of showing concern for her health condition and offered to help care for the baby while the mother rested. She subsequently disappeared with the child.

Following the report, detectives from the division immediately launched an intelligence-driven operation, placing motor parks and other strategic locations under surveillance.

Acting on credible intelligence, operatives tracked the suspects to their hideout in the Kekere Ekun area of Mowe on May 18 at about 7:55 p.m., where the stolen baby was rescued alongside two other children found in the couple’s possession.

The suspects were promptly arrested and taken into custody for further investigation.
Preliminary findings by the police revealed that one of the additional children rescued had earlier been declared missing in a 2024 child-stealing case. Investigators said the child was allegedly taken from a hairdressing salon using a similar deceptive method.

The police added that the biological parents of two of the rescued children had been contacted and had positively identified their children.

Commending the officers involved in the operation, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, CP Bode Ojajuni, praised the swift response and professionalism of the Mowe Division personnel, noting that their proactive efforts led to the successful rescue of the children and arrest of the suspects.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling child trafficking, abduction and other violent crimes across the state, while urging residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.