The Ogun State Police Command has dismantled an organised child trafficking and illegal surrogacy syndicate operating under the guise of an orphanage, rescuing seven children and arresting five key suspects.
The State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta. He revealed that the syndicate was involved in the planned sale of babies for as much as ₦1.5 million each.
According to Ogunlowo, the breakthrough followed an investigation by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) after a child abduction case was transferred from the Idanyin Divisional Police Headquarters.
The case began on November 28, 2025, when a woman identified as Amara reported the abduction of her six-year-old son, Samuel Honesty, at the Idanyin Police Station. Preliminary investigations led to the arrest and prosecution of two suspects, Chioma Honest and Praise Honesty, over their alleged roles in the child’s disappearance. Due to the complexity of the case, it was later transferred to the SCID for further investigation.
Ogunlowo said a major breakthrough was recorded on January 21, 2026, when the abducted child was dropped off at the Gowon Police Station in Lagos State. During interrogation, the boy disclosed that he had been taken to Joyful Kids Orphanage in Badagry, Lagos, and identified a woman known as Madam Joy as the operator of the facility.
Acting on the information, police operatives raided the orphanage and rescued six additional children, bringing the total number of rescued minors to seven. The children were identified as Ramsey Chiedozie (8), Rafael Rofiu (6), Kazeem Chiedozie (6), Segun Uthman (9), Ola Abdulhakeem Abdulrasheed (9), David Oyelese (9), and Samuel Honesty (6). Samuel has since been reunited with his mother.
During the operation, police also discovered two pregnant teenagers, Tanimola Martins (18) and Favour Martins (18), within the premises. According to the commissioner, the teenagers confessed that they were recruited to carry pregnancies with the intention of selling their babies to pre-arranged buyers immediately after delivery for ₦1.5 million per child.
The principal suspect, Joy Chiedozie (36), popularly known as Madam Joy and identified as the operator of Joyful Kids Orphanage, was arrested at the scene. Ogunlowo said she confessed to purchasing Samuel Honesty for ₦1.5 million, paying ₦900,000 in cash and ₦600,000 through a bank transfer to a woman identified only as Kelly.
Madam Joy further admitted that she later sold the child to a man identified as Mr. Emmanuel, who is currently at large. Police said efforts are ongoing to apprehend him and recover other children believed to have been sold by the syndicate.
Further investigations revealed that Yusuf Adebowale (31), the orphanage’s driver, allegedly acted as an uncertified surrogate agent, facilitating illegal surrogacy arrangements and connecting pregnant girls with prospective buyers. Other suspects arrested include Martins Favour (18), Tanimola Martins (18), and Rachael Chiedozie (16).
The six other rescued children have been handed over to the Ogun State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for protective custody, welfare assessment, and family tracing.
Ogunlowo said investigations are ongoing to arrest fleeing suspects, trace financial transactions linked to the operation, identify additional victims, and dismantle the wider child trafficking and illegal surrogacy network.
He reiterated the Command’s zero tolerance for child trafficking, illegal adoption, and the exploitation of vulnerable children and young women, urging members of the public to report suspicious orphanage activities and human trafficking cases to the nearest police station.
The Commissioner assured residents of the Command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and upholding the rule of law across the state.
