By Our Reporter
Detectives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a husband and wife over alleged involvement in child stealing and rescued three children in Mowe area of the state.
The suspects, identified as Oluwarankami Kehinde Ugochukwu and her husband, Ugochukwu Mathew, were arrested by operatives attached to the Mowe Division led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Afeniforo Folake.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the arrest followed a complaint lodged at the division on May 17, 2026, by a resident of Omo Onile, Mowe.
The complainant alleged that while receiving treatment at a clinic in Mowe on May 16, one of the suspects, Oluwarankami Kehinde Ugochukwu, visited her under the guise of checking on her welfare.
The suspect allegedly collected the woman’s four-month-old baby on the pretext of assisting with childcare while the mother rested, before disappearing with the child.
Following the report, detectives immediately launched an intelligence-led operation and placed motor parks and strategic locations under surveillance.
Acting on credible intelligence, the police tracked the suspects to their hideout in the Kekere Ekun area of Mowe on May 18 at about 7:55 p.m.
The stolen baby was rescued alongside two other children found in the suspects’ possession, while the couple was arrested and taken into custody.
Preliminary investigations reportedly revealed that one of the rescued children had earlier been declared missing in a 2024 child stealing case involving a similar method in which the child was allegedly taken from a hairdressing salon under the pretence of offering assistance.
The police said the biological parents of two of the rescued children had been contacted and had positively identified their children.
The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, for further investigation.
The Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, commended officers of the Mowe Division for their swift response, professionalism, and commitment, which led to the arrest of the suspects and rescue of the children.
Ojajuni reiterated the Command’s determination to sustain the fight against child trafficking, abduction, and other violent crimes across the state.
He also urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements or criminal activities through the Command’s emergency lines.
