Ogun child stealing arrest leads to rescue of three children as police detain couple in Mowe over alleged abduction cases

Ogun State Police Command has arrested a couple, Mathew Ugochukwu and Oluwarankami Kehinde, in the Mowe area of Ogun State over alleged child stealing, while three children were rescued during the operation.

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The command’s spokesperson, Babaseyi Oluseyi, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the suspects, identified as Oluwarankami Kehinde Ugochukwu and her husband, Mathew Ugochukwu, were arrested following a complaint lodged at the Mowe Division by a resident of Omo Onile, Mowe.

Oluseyi said the complainant reported that while receiving treatment at a clinic on Saturday, one of the suspects visited her under the pretence of checking on her health condition.

The police spokesperson stated that the woman allegedly collected the complainant’s four-month-old baby, claiming she wanted to help care for the child while the mother rested, before disappearing with the infant.

“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,” the statement said.

The police added that detectives later tracked the suspects to their hideout in the Kekere Ekun area of Mowe on May 18, 2026, at about 7:55 p.m.

During the operation, officers reportedly rescued the stolen baby alongside two other children found in the suspects’ possession.

The Ogun child stealing arrest took a dramatic turn after preliminary investigations allegedly revealed that one of the rescued children had earlier been declared missing in a 2024 child abduction case.

Police said the child was allegedly taken from a hairdressing salon using a similar deceptive method in which the suspect pretended to offer assistance.

“The biological parents of two of the rescued children have been contacted and have positively identified their wards,” the statement added.

The command said the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department at Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.

Reacting to the development, Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajuni commended officers attached to the Mowe Division for what he described as their swift and professional response.

According to the statement, Ojajuni reaffirmed the command’s determination to combat child trafficking, abduction and other violent crimes across the state.

He also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities or movements to security agencies.

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The arrest comes less than a week after the Abia State Police Command announced the arrest of three female suspects over alleged child stealing, with two children also rescued during an operation in the Akwete area of the state.