Follow Us on Google
By Christopher Oji and Faheem Lawal
Detectives attached to the Mowe Division of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a couple, Oluwarankami Kehinde Ugochukwu and her husband, Ugochukwu Mathew, over alleged child theft and rescued three children in Mowe.
The arrest followed a complaint lodged at the division on May 17 by a resident of Omo Onile, Mowe.
The complainant alleged that while she was 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 condition.
The suspect allegedly collected the woman’s four-month-old baby on the pretext of assisting with childcare while the mother rested, before absconding with the child.
In a statement, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said detectives immediately launched an intelligence-led operation following the report.
“Upon receipt of the report, detectives of the division were immediately mobilised. Motor parks and strategic locations within the area were placed under surveillance while intelligence-led operations were intensified,” he said.
Babaseyi said the suspects were tracked to their hideout at Kekere Ekun, Mowe, on May 18 at about 7:55 p.m., where the stolen baby and two other children were rescued.
Other News
“The husband and wife suspects were promptly arrested and taken into custody,” he added.
According to the police spokesperson, preliminary investigation revealed that one of the children rescued had earlier been declared missing in a 2024 child theft case.
He said the child was allegedly stolen from a hairdressing salon using the same deceptive method of pretending to offer assistance.
Babaseyi said the biological parents of two of the rescued children had identified their wards.
He added that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, for further investigation.
The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended officers of the Mowe Division for their swift response and professionalism, which led to the arrest of the suspects and rescue of the children.
He reiterated the command’s commitment to tackling child trafficking, abduction and other violent crimes across the state.
The police also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements or criminal activities through the Ogun State Police Command emergency lines.
