By The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a couple, identified as Oluwarankami Kehinde Ugochukwu and her husband, Ugochukwu Mathew, over their alleged involvement in child abduction, while three children were rescued during the operation in the Mowe area of the state.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the suspects were apprehended by operatives of the Mowe Police Division following an abduction report lodged at the division around 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 17.
The police disclosed that one of the victims reported that Kehinde Ugochukwu allegedly fled with her baby on Saturday, May 16, while she was receiving treatment at a clinic in Mowe.
According to the victim, the suspect visited the clinic 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.”
The statement noted that intensified surveillance at checkpoints and credible intelligence gathering led operatives to the suspects’ hideout at the Kekere Ekun area of Mowe on Monday evening, May 18.
The operation subsequently resulted in the arrest of the couple and the rescue of the missing baby alongside two other children found in their possession.
Mr. Babaseyi added that preliminary investigations revealed that one of the rescued children had earlier been declared missing in a 2024 child theft case.
“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,” he said.
The police further stated that two of the rescued children have been reunited with their biological parents, while the matter has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, for further investigation.
“The biological parents of two of the rescued children have been contacted and have positively identified their wards,” he added.
Reacting to the development, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended operatives of the Mowe Division for the professionalism displayed during the execution of the operation.
The command also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.
