A suspected member of a child-stealing and trafficking syndicate, Adejoke Popoola, has explained how she allegedly sold two sets of children she gave birth to and stole other children for onward sale.

Popoola, who spoke to journalists on Monday at the Oyo State Police Command headquarters in Ibadan, said she had been involved in the activities since October 2024.

She claimed she sold a newborn baby and a set of twins, adding that the twins were sold to a clinic in Ogeere for N300,000.

“God blessed me with the gift of pregnancy. Anytime a man has sex with me twice, I get pregnant, and it is always difficult to abort.

“I have sold two sets of children, a newborn boy and twins as well, last year. I sold the twins to … clinic; she also resells them to her customers in Lagos. She has a baby industry. When the owner of the pregnancy rejects the pregnancy, that is when I sell. Sometimes I get N80,000 or N120,000 for each child I sell.

“The clinic in Ogeere gave me N300,000 for the twins,” she said.

Popoola said she had seven children of her own, adding that some of them were married.

“I gave birth to seven children. Some are married. My last child is six years old, while the eldest is 34 years old,” she said.

She also admitted stealing children, explaining that she would sometimes disguise herself as someone seeking to rent a house before taking children when their parents were not around.

“I steal babies. I will go to their place and say I want to rent a house. Then, if I do not see anyone, if I see their children, I will just steal their children,” she said.

Popoola said a woman she worked with at Ogeere Market taught her how to steal children.

She also claimed to have posed as a spiritualist and targeted parents with children living with disabilities.

“Sometimes, I disguise myself as a spiritualist. Parents bring their disabled children to me because they cannot talk, sit, or walk. So, I will promise them that I can help them to heal, then I will go and pick another person’s child for them,” she said.

According to Popoola, she had been involved in the alleged activities since October 2024 while also selling herbs at Ariyo Bus Stop, Olunloyo.

She further recounted how she allegedly stole a three-year-old boy, Ifakunle Ifagbenro, during an Egungun festival in Oyo Town.

“I went to an Egungun festival to steal a child, Ifakunle. I woke up early and asked a bike man to drive me to the place where they were holding the Egungun festival, so he drove me to the house.

“When I entered the house, they were praying, so I joined them and I even gave them money for the prayer.

“When the Egungun left, the boy told his mother that he did not want to stay at home and wanted to join the procession. So, I volunteered to help hold the boy.

“I joined them for the procession and, in the evening, I picked up the boy, laid him on my back and ran away with him,” she said.

Popoola claimed that six children had died out of the 19 children she had allegedly kidnapped.

“About six children died from the 19 children I have kidnapped, but 13 are alive,” she said.

The Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, disclosed this during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, on Monday.

Olugbenga said the breakthrough followed an intelligence-led investigation that began with a petition but later exposed a wider criminal network allegedly involved in the stealing, movement, sale and concealment of children.

He said the investigation also uncovered allegations of other criminal activities, including the reported use of deceased children for ritual purposes.