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By Vera Wisdom-Bassey
The Ogun State Police Command has uncovered a sinister baby-selling racket and dismantled an organised child trafficking and illegal surrogacy syndicate operating under the guise of an orphanage.
The command rescued seven children and arrested five principal suspects during the operation. Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, detailed the breakthrough, describing it as a significant victory in the state’s fight against human trafficking.
The breakthrough was achieved by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) following a case transfer from the Idanyin Divisional Headquarters.
The investigation began on November 28, 2025, when a woman named Amara reported the abduction of her six-year-old son, Samuel Honesty. Initial inquiries led to the arrest and prosecution of Chioma Honesty and Praise Honesty for suspected involvement.
On January 21, 2026, the abducted child was found at the Gowon Police Station in Lagos State. Young Samuel informed officers that he had been held at Joyful Kids Orphanage in Badagry and identified a woman known as Madam Joy as the operator.
Acting on this intelligence, operatives conducted a coordinated raid on the facility. In addition to Samuel, six other children were rescued, including Ramsey Chiedozie (6) and Segun Uthman (9).
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The police confirmed that Samuel Honesty had been safely reunited with his mother, ending a traumatic ordeal for the family. The other six rescued children have been handed over to the Ogun State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for welfare assessment and family tracing.
During the raid, police discovered two 18-year-old pregnant women, Tanimola Martins and Favour Martins. The women confessed they were recruited to carry pregnancies with the intention of selling the newborns to pre-arranged buyers for N1.5 million per child.
The principal suspect, 35-year-old Joy Chiedozie (alias Madam Joy), was arrested on-site. She confessed to purchasing Samuel for N1.5 million—paying N900,000 in cash and N600,000 via bank transfer to a woman known as Kelly before reselling the child to a Mr. Emmanuel, who remains at large.
Other suspects in custody include Yusuf Adebowale (31), the orphanage driver, who allegedly acted as an uncertified surrogate agent, Martins Favour (18), Tanimola Martin (18), an expectant mothers involved in the scheme and Rachael Chiedozie (16), an alleged accomplice.
The Ogun State Police Command has reiterated its zero-tolerance policy regarding child exploitation and illegal adoption. Investigations are ongoing to apprehend Mr. Emmanuel, trace the woman known as Kelly, and dismantle the wider trafficking network.
Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious orphanage operations or illegal adoption practices to the nearest police station.
