The Ondo State Police Command has, uncovered a baby factory and human trafficking syndicate in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area, and arresting members of a notorious kidnapping gang terrorizing travelers along major highways in the South-West.
In the first operation, a swift response from the Police followed the escape and report of a 17-year-old girl, Vivian Peter, who revealed that she had been trafficked from Akwa Ibom State to Ore under the pretext of a job offer but on arrival, she was taken to what appeared to be a clinic but later turned out to be a baby factory where several pregnant girls were allegedly held for exploitation.
A statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Ayanlade Olusola revealed that the girl managed to escape after being instructed to undergo a medical scan at another hospital where she swiftly ran to the Ore Division and narrated her ordeal to operatives.
“However, acting on her tip-off, detectives from the Ore Division and the Command’s Gender-Based Violence Unit stormed the facility, rescuing five pregnant girls and a baby boy. One of the victims was discovered to have already delivered and is currently receiving treatment at the General Hospital, Ore.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the operator of the facility, one Ada Clement and her accomplices, allegedly used the centre as a baby factory, where pregnant teenagers were confined until delivery. The babies were reportedly sold for ₦400,000 and above for girls and ₦600,000 and above for boys.”
He said the State Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, has ordered a discreet and comprehensive investigation into the syndicate’s activities and directed that all fleeing members be tracked and brought to justice.
In a related development, operatives of the State Command also recorded another success with the arrest of a 20-year-old suspect, Abdullahi Ibrahim, believed to be a member of a notorious kidnapping gang responsible for several abductions along the Benin–Ore Expressway.
“The suspect was apprehended in Ore following credible intelligence linking him to multiple kidnap-for-ransom operations across the South-West. During interrogation, he confessed to being part of a gang operating across Ondo, Edo, and Lagos States, using forested routes to evade security surveillance.”
He noted that his confession led the State Anti-Kidnapping Section (SAKS), Akure, to Benin City, where two additional suspects were arrested, stressing that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members still at large.
Commending the operatives for their diligence and professionalism, CP Lawal assured residents that the Police will sustain aggressive intelligence-led operations to dismantle criminal networks across the state.
He urged citizens to remain calm, law-abiding, and vigilant, while reaffirming the Command’s readiness to protect lives and property. “Ondo State will continue to remain unsafe for criminals but secure for law-abiding residents,” the CP assured.
Fidelis David
