Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have uncovered a suspected illegal baby factory in Abaren Village, Mowe, rescuing two pregnant women and four children while arresting six people allegedly connected to the operation.
The police said the operation was carried out by officers of the Mowe Division on Monday, August 24, 2026, following sustained intelligence about suspected human trafficking and illegal adoption activities at the facility. The hideout was located on Toluwalase Street, Abaren Village, via Gbarinmole, a suburb of Mowe.
According to the Ogun State Police Command, preliminary investigations indicated that activities linked to human trafficking and illegal adoption had allegedly been taking place at the location for some time.
During the raid, police rescued two pregnant women identified as 23-year-old Ilesanmi Foluke, who was seven months pregnant, and 20-year-old Ejekwa Melody, 20, who was eight months pregnant.
Four children were also recovered from the premises. The children comprised two boys and two girls, according to the police.
Six suspects were arrested during the operation. They were identified as Florence Glory Ogbona, 58; Magdalene Julius, 63; Chidike Egwuonwu, 40; Onyechu Chidike, 35; Stephen Ogbona, 39; and an attending nurse, Oseni Kusamotu Idaya.
The police said the investigation did not end with the raid on the facility. Further intelligence-led operations took officers to a hospital within the Mowe area, where investigators discovered another alleged victim, 26-year-old Blessing Bright Effiong.
According to the police, Effiong had given birth to a baby boy at the hospital on August 20, 2026. However, while she was receiving medical treatment, the whereabouts of her newborn could not be established.
The development prompted the arrest of the attending nurse as police intensified efforts to locate the missing newborn and establish what happened to the child.
The police have described the missing baby as a major part of the ongoing investigation and said officers would continue searching until the child is located.
The case has now been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation. Authorities said detectives would work to determine the full extent of the suspected syndicate's activities, locate the missing newborn and identify anyone else who may have been involved.
The Ogun State Police Command said the investigation would also help establish whether other victims may have passed through the facility and determine the circumstances surrounding the alleged trafficking and illegal adoption activities.
The arrests represent another enforcement action against suspected baby factories and child-trafficking networks in Nigeria, where police and other security agencies have repeatedly uncovered facilities allegedly involved in the illegal movement and sale of children.
The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Bode Ojajuni, commended the Mowe Division officers for what he described as their operational efficiency and prompt response.
Ojajuni reaffirmed the command's commitment to combating human trafficking, child trading and other forms of crime across the state. He also urged residents to remain vigilant and provide security agencies with credible information about suspicious activities in their communities.
The police have assured residents that the investigation will continue and that anyone found culpable will face prosecution.
The development has also renewed concerns about the vulnerability of pregnant women and children to trafficking networks, particularly where individuals are lured or placed in facilities operating under the guise of maternity homes, care centres or other legitimate establishments.
For the rescued women and children, the police operation has provided an opportunity for them to be removed from the suspected facility while investigations continue into the circumstances that brought them there.
Authorities are now focused on determining whether the location was part of a larger trafficking network, how long the alleged operation had been running and whether additional victims or suspects are connected to the case.
The search for the missing newborn remains one of the most urgent aspects of the investigation. The Ogun State Police Command said it would leave no stone unturned in locating the baby and bringing anyone found responsible to justice.
The case is expected to remain under investigation as detectives examine evidence recovered during the operation and question the six arrested suspects and other individuals connected to the facility.
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