By Ebinum Samuel
Detectives of Mowe Division, Ogun State Police Command, led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Afenifori Folake, have successfully arrested a husband and wife, namely Oluwarankami Kehinde Ugochukwu ‘F’ and her husband, Ugochukwu Mathew ‘M’, over their involvement in child stealing and rescued three stolen children in Mowe area of Ogun State.
The arrest followed a complaint lodged at Mowe Division on 17/05/2026 at about 10:00am by a resident of Omo Onile, Mowe, who reported that while she was receiving medical attention at a clinic in Mowe on 16/05/2026, one of the suspects, Oluwarankami Kehinde Ugochukwu ‘F’, visited under the guise of checking on her condition, deceitfully collected her four-month-old baby on the pretext of assisting with care while the mother rested, and thereafter absconded with the child.
Upon receipt of the report, detectives of the Division were immediately mobilized. Motor parks and strategic locations within the area were placed under surveillance while intelligence-led operations were intensified. Acting on credible intelligence, detectives tracked the suspects to their hideout at Kekere Ekun area of Mowe on 18/05/2026 at about 7:55pm, where the stolen child was rescued alongside two other children found in their possession. The husband and wife suspects were promptly arrested and taken into custody.
Preliminary investigation revealed that one of the children found with the suspects had earlier been declared missing in a 2024 child stealing case, in which the child was taken from a hairdressing salon using the same deceptive method of pretending to offer assistance.
The biological parents of two of the rescued children have been contacted and have positively identified their wards.
The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, for discreet investigation.
The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, commends the swift response, professionalism, and commitment of the officers and men of Mowe Division, whose proactive efforts led to the arrest of the suspects and rescue of the children. The CP reiterated the Command’s resolve to sustain the fight against child trafficking, abduction, and other violent crimes across the State.
Members of the public are urged to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements or criminal activities through the Ogun State Police Command emergency lines: Gateway Shield (Toll-Free): 0800 000 9111; Emergency Lines: 0906 283 7609, 0912 014 1706, 0915 102 7369, 0708 497 2994.
