The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a husband and wife over alleged involvement in child stealing and rescued three children in the Mowe area of the state.
The suspects, identified as Oluwarankami Kehinde Ugochukwu and her husband, Ugochukwu Mathew, were arrested by detectives attached to the Mowe Division following an intelligence-led operation.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the arrest followed a complaint lodged at the division on May 17, 2026.
The complainant reportedly told police that while receiving treatment at a clinic in Mowe on May 16, the female suspect visited her under the guise of checking on her health condition.
Babaseyi said the suspect allegedly collected the woman’s four-month-old baby on the pretext of assisting with childcare while the mother rested, but later disappeared with the infant.
“Upon receipt of the report, detectives of the Division were immediately mobilized. Motor parks and strategic locations within the area were placed under surveillance while intelligence-led operations were intensified,” the statement read.
Police said the suspects were tracked to their hideout at Kekere Ekun area of Mowe on May 18 at about 7:55pm.
The stolen baby was rescued during the operation alongside two other children allegedly found in the couple’s possession.
Preliminary investigation further revealed that one of the rescued children had earlier been declared missing in a 2024 child stealing case.
According to the police, the child was allegedly taken from a hairdressing salon using a similar deceptive method.
“The biological parents of two of the rescued children have been contacted and have positively identified their wards,” the statement added.
The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, for further investigation.
The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Bode Ojajuni, commended officers of the Mowe Division for what he described as their swift response and professionalism.
He also reiterated the command’s commitment to combating child trafficking, abduction and other violent crimes across the state.
