Six suspects were arrested after an intelligence-led raid in Abaren Village, while police launched a search for a newborn whose whereabouts remain unknown

The Ogun State Police Command on Monday, August 24, 2026, dismantled an alleged Mowe baby factory at Abaren Village, Mowe, rescuing two pregnant women and four children and arresting six suspects in an intelligence-led operation targeting suspected human trafficking and illegal adoption.

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The operation, conducted by officers of the Mowe Division at about 8am, followed sustained intelligence about alleged trafficking activities at a facility on Toluwalase Street, Abaren Village, via Gbarinmole.

The police said preliminary investigations indicated that the activities had allegedly been taking place at the location over time. (The Guardian Nigeria)

The six suspects arrested were identified as Florence Glory Ogbona, 58; Magdalene Julius, 63; Chidike Egwuonwu, 40; Onyechu Chidike, 35; Stephen Ogbona, 39; and nurse Oseni Kusamotu Idaya. (The Guardian Nigeria)

Among those rescued were Ilesanmi Foluke, 23, who was seven months pregnant, and Ejekwa Melody, 20, who was eight months pregnant.

Four children, comprising two boys and two girls, were also recovered from the facility. (Punch Newspapers)

The police operation, however, took a more troubling turn when investigators followed further intelligence to a hospital within the Mowe axis.

Police said 26-year-old Blessing Bright Effiong had given birth to a baby boy at the hospital on August 20, but the whereabouts of the newborn could not be established while the mother remained under medical care.

The attending nurse was subsequently arrested as investigators sought to establish what happened to the child and locate the missing newborn. (The Guardian Nigeria)

The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, where investigators are expected to determine the full extent of the alleged syndicate’s activities, locate the infant and establish the individual responsibility of those arrested.

“The command will leave no stone unturned in locating the missing newborn and ensuring that every culpable suspect is brought to justice,” the police said. (The Guardian Nigeria)

The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Bode Ojajuni, commended the Mowe Division officers for what the command described as a prompt and effective response.

Ojajuni reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling human trafficking, child trading and other violent crimes across the state.

He also urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible information about suspicious activities, saying intelligence-led policing remained important to protecting vulnerable residents and children.

The latest operation adds to a troubling history of alleged baby factory activities in the Mowe and wider Ogun area.

Previous investigations have documented cases in which vulnerable pregnant women were allegedly lured to such facilities with promises of accommodation, employment or support, only for their babies to be taken away after delivery. (Punch Newspapers)

That history underscores the wider human cost behind the term “baby factory”, which is commonly used in Nigeria to describe illicit operations involving the exploitation of pregnant women and the trafficking or illegal sale of newborns.

For the women rescued in Monday’s operation, the immediate priority will be their safety and welfare as investigators work to unravel how the alleged operation was organised.

The police have not yet established the circumstances surrounding the missing newborn, and no court has determined the guilt of any of the six suspects. The investigation remains ongoing.

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The Ogun Command said members of the public should continue to report suspicious persons or activities through its emergency channels as the investigation progresses.