The Ondo state police command has arrested a couple and one other for stealing children and rescued about 14 kidnapped children including toddlers.

Lukman Isiaka: 43, Abosede Olanipekun: 23 who were said to have stolen he children and sold them to one Sabira Izuorah: 62.

The children stolen included some 2 weeks old, 3 months old, three weeks old, toddlers and others.

Apparently, Izuorah runs an orphanage in Ihiala, Anambra state where the babies were found, in her custody.

These children in Izuorah’s custody couldn’t recognize their parents nor their names as they had been changed and they all now speak Igbo.

When asked, Izuorah said;

“I have a registered orphanage. I take care of children. The name of my orphanage is Clarion Children’s Care and Reforms Initiative and it started full operation in 2020”.

Going further in her statement as she was paraded at the police headquarters in Akure, Izuorah claimed she is a retired minister of women and children’s affairs in Anambra State and admitted receiving the children from the couple.

She said the couple brought a total of 11 children to her and she never paid for any of them, said it is the adoptive parents of the children who paid them. “The parents only brought us food items and supplies” she said.

However, Lukman and his wife claimed that she paid them 500,000 naira for each children they brought to her and she sold them for 1M to her buyers.

“I have been stealing children since 2023…” Lukman confessed saying that he and his wife always lured they children when they went out by promising them soft drink and biscuit which made the children trust and follow them.

However, Lukman denied knowing anything about the two and four months old babies saying he didn’t sell them to Izuorah.

Meanwhile, Wilfred Afolabi, the state commissioner of police has commended the effort of the police operatives in rescuing he victims. She also mentioned that Lukman and his wife were traced to Ottah village, Edo state and were arrested.

Interestingly, according to Afolabi’s statement, a complaintant came out to narrate how Lukam and his wife stole her child;

“Lukman and his wife promised to buy her child biscuit only for Lukman to distract her by engaging her in a personal discussion. He requested that she followed him to a plaza in the market where he’d buy mobile phone..” she narrated and said she came back but couldn’t find her child anymore, according to Afolabi’s statement.

Meanwhile, Lukman and his wife admitted to stealing the said child and others.

However, the police said some of the children are on the missing list.

Lukman and his wife are in police custody and would be charged to court upon completing the investigation.

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