A suspected member of an alleged child-trafficking syndicate in Oyo State, Adejoke Popoola, has made disturbing claims about the alleged sale of children and the circumstances surrounding the deaths of some of the victims.

Popoola, also known as Orente Alagbo, reportedly made the disclosures while speaking with journalists at the Oyo State Police Command headquarters in Ibadan.

According to her account, she had been involved in the alleged criminal activities since October 2024 and admitted to stealing children as well as selling two sets of babies she had given birth to.

She reportedly said she sold a newborn boy and a set of twins, claiming that the twins were sold to a clinic in Ogeere for ₦300,000. She further alleged that she sometimes received between ₦80,000 and ₦120,000 for individual children.

Popoola also allegedly disclosed that she had stolen 19 children, with six of them reportedly dying while in captivity.

The suspect claimed that some of the children were taken from different locations, including homes, churches and social events. She allegedly described disguising herself as a prospective tenant to gain access to homes where children were present.

She also claimed that she sometimes posed as a spiritualist, allegedly approaching parents of children living with disabilities under the pretext of offering treatment before taking away children.

One of the cases she reportedly recounted involved three-year-old Ifakunle Ifagbenro, who disappeared during an Egungun festival in Oyo Town.

According to Popoola’s account, she allegedly gained the family’s trust during the festival before leaving the venue with the child.

The police investigation into the case subsequently expanded into an alleged interstate child-trafficking network operating across Oyo, Ogun and Delta states.

The Oyo State Police Command has said the investigation resulted in the rescue of 17 children and the arrest of seven suspects. Police also disclosed that six children allegedly died while in captivity.

The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Abimbola Olugbenga, said detectives uncovered evidence suggesting that children were being moved between states and sold or concealed by members of the suspected network.

Four children were reportedly rescued in Agbor, Delta State, following an operation carried out by detectives on September 2. Two suspects were arrested during the operation, according to the police.

The police also said the investigation uncovered allegations involving the use of deceased children for ritual purposes, although investigations are still ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the reported deaths.

Authorities have urged parents and guardians whose children have gone missing to visit the Oyo State Police Command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, to determine whether any of the rescued children are their relatives.

The police have continued investigating the suspected syndicate and the alleged roles of those arrested, with the aim of establishing the full extent of the network and prosecuting those found culpable.

It is important to note that the allegations against the suspects remain subject to police investigation and due process.