"I Get N500,000 Per Child—Suspect Confesses as Police Bust Child Trafficking Ring

A 62-year-old grandmother, Sabira Izuorah, and a couple, Isiaka and Abosede Lukman, have been arrested by the Ondo State Police Command for allegedly abducting 14 children, including four babies aged between one week and two months.

The Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, disclosed that the suspects operated a child trafficking ring, stealing children from Ondo and Osun states and selling them to Izuorah in Ihiala, Anambra State. “The suspects confessed to abducting children and selling them for N1 million each to Izuorah, who manages an illegal orphanage,” Afolabi said.

According to Afolabi, the arrest followed a complaint by a woman whose child was abducted in Akure, the state capital. The couple reportedly lured the child away under the guise of buying biscuits, while one of them distracted the mother.

"I Got N500,000 Per Child"

During interrogation, Lukman admitted to receiving N500,000 per child from Izuorah. “I have been stealing children since 2023. My wife and I would lure them with promises of snacks and then transport them to Anambra State. Izuorah introduced me to the business when I worked as a bricklayer in Anambra,” he confessed.

Meanwhile, Izuorah claimed the children were handed over to adopting parents. “I started my orphanage, Clarion Children’s Care and Reforms Initiatives, in 2020. The Lukmans brought 11 children to me. I don’t pay them directly, but adopting parents give food and supplies,” she stated.

The police commissioner revealed that efforts are ongoing to rescue other missing children. “We urge parents to be vigilant. Some children are still missing, and we are committed to locating them,” Afolabi added.