Operatives of the Ekiti State Police Command have uncovered an alleged baby factory in Ikere Local Government Area of the state, leading to the arrest of five suspects and the rescue of six children.
The Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Joe Eribo, disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing journalists in Ado-Ekiti. He said the arrests followed a credible tip-off received by the command.
According to Eribo, the prime suspect, Onyechi Oluwadare, a 43-year-old woman, was arrested alongside four others at a premises located behind Inisa Hotel and Suites along Ise-Ekiti Road, Ikere-Ekiti.
He identified the other suspects as Onuoha Gloria (28), Victoria Linus (25), Ihegbogu Mercy (21), and Emmanuel Esther (23), who was described as heavily pregnant.
The police commissioner said a search of the premises led to the rescue of six children aged between two and nine years, who were suspected to have been confined and exploited.
Items recovered from the location included baby delivery materials, rolls of dexamethasone tablets, and bottles of Goya oil.
However, speaking to journalists, Oluwadare denied operating a baby factory, claiming that the building was being used as a prayer centre where people sought divine intervention.
In a separate operation, the police also arrested Ibrahim Abubakar, described as a notorious cattle rustler allegedly wanted in Ekiti, Kwara, and Kogi states.
The police said investigations revealed that Abubakar had been involved in cattle rustling across the three states and had confessed to the crimes. A total of 255 rustled cattle were reportedly recovered from him, while an additional 303 cattle were recovered from another suspect, bringing the total number of recovered cattle to 558.
Eribo said investigations into both cases were ongoing and that all suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
