Husband, wife arrested for stealing 4-month-old baby, other children in Ogun

A husband, Mathew Ugochukwu, and his wife, Oluwarankami Ugochukwu, were arrested in the Mowe area of Ogun State after stealing a four‑month‑old baby and two other children.

According to the DAILY POST, Oluwarankami visited the mother of the baby, who was ill and admitted to a clinic in Mowe on Saturday. She persuaded the mother to hand over the child by claiming she would care for it while the mother rested, but then fled with the baby.

When police were notified on Wednesday, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi said detectives from the Mowe Division, led by Divisional Police Officer CSP Folake Afeniforo, were dispatched immediately. Motor parks and key locations in the area were put on red alert.

“Acting on credible intelligence and sustained surveillance, detectives tracked the husband and wife duo to their hideout at Kekere Ekun area of Mowe on Monday at about 7:55 pm, where the stolen child was successfully recovered alongside two other children found in their possession,” Babaseyi said. “The husband and wife suspects were promptly arrested and taken into police custody.”

Babaseyi added that one of the recovered children had been declared missing in 2024. The biological parents, when contacted, confirmed the children’s identities. The case has now been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Eleweran for further investigation to uncover the full extent of the syndicate and prosecute all involved parties.

State Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajuni praised the rapid response, professionalism, and resilience of the Mowe Division officers, reaffirming the command’s commitment to combating child trafficking, abduction, and other violent crimes across the state.