Abeokuta, Ogun State – Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have dismantled an alleged illegal baby factory in the Mowe area of Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area, rescuing two heavily pregnant women and four children while arresting six suspects.
The intelligence-led operation took place at about 8:00 a.m. on Monday, August 24, 2026, at a hideout on Toluwalase Street, Abaren Village, via Gbarinmole, a suburb of Mowe.
According to a statement by the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Oluborode Opeyemi (also referred to in some reports as DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi), the raid followed sustained intelligence on suspected human trafficking and illegal adoption activities at the facility.
The two rescued women were identified as Ilesanmi Foluke, 23, who was seven months pregnant, and Ejekwa Melody, 20, who was eight months pregnant. Four young children—two boys and two girls—were also recovered from the premises and taken into protective custody.
Six suspects were arrested during the operation. They are Florence Glory Ogbona, 58; Magdalene Julius, 63; Chidike Egwuonwu, 40; Onyechu Chidike, 35; Stephen Ogbona, 39; and an attending nurse, Oseni Kusamotu Idaya.
Preliminary investigations indicated that human trafficking and illegal adoption activities had been systematically taking place at the location over time.
Follow-up intelligence later led officers to a hospital in the Mowe axis, where another alleged victim, Blessing Bright Effiong, 26, was receiving medical treatment after giving birth to a baby boy on August 20, 2026.
The whereabouts of the newborn could not be accounted for at the time, prompting the arrest of the attending nurse to assist in efforts to locate the infant.
The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) at Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further diligent investigation. Police said the probe would aim to establish the full extent of the syndicate’s activities, locate the missing newborn, and ensure the prosecution of all those found culpable.
The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Bode Ojajuni, commended the officers involved in the operation and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to intensifying efforts against human trafficking, child exploitation, and related crimes.
Baby factories—illegal facilities where pregnant women or girls are held, often with the intention of selling their newborns—have been a recurring concern in parts of Nigeria. Authorities continue to urge members of the public to provide timely information that could help disrupt such networks and protect vulnerable individuals.
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