Nab proprietor as illegal orphanage uncovered in Edo
The Oyo State Police Command has arrested three suspects in connection with a kidnapping at a farm settlement, describing the development as a major breakthrough in its ongoing investigation.

The command said the arrests followed credible intelligence from members of the public, which prompted a coordinated operation ordered by the Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga.

The suspects — Musa Ajibola, 29; Hassan Mohammadu, 63; and Umaru Hassan, 19 — were apprehended on April 21, 2026, at Latayo Farm Settlement, Ile-Igbo, over their alleged involvement in the abduction and subsequent release of a female victim identified simply as Remi.

Police said the suspects confessed during interrogation and provided useful information, while efforts continue to track other accomplices.

In a separate operation, the command arrested two suspected motorcycle thieves and recovered stolen motorcycles as part of efforts to curb vehicle theft.

The police said the arrests followed intelligence on Ibrahim Adebisi, 24, who allegedly specialised in stealing motorcycles. He reportedly confessed to stealing motorcycles from Ilesa in Osun State and transporting them to the Ojoo area of Ibadan for sale.

Following his confession, operatives arrested another suspect, Hussein Haruna, 23, in the Ojoo axis.

He allegedly admitted to receiving stolen motorcycles. Police recovered two unregistered Boxer motorcycles and one unregistered TVS Neo NX motorcycle.

The command also arrested a suspected armed robber and recovered a firearm along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway during an intelligence-led operation by the Federal Highway Patrol.

Police said operatives intercepted a Mazda commercial bus during a stop-and-search exercise, where one of the occupants, Imoleayo Ibrahim, was found in possession of a locally fabricated pistol. He was arrested at the scene.

According to the police, the suspect confessed that the weapon was intended for robbery operations along the expressway and identified two accomplices — Ibrahim Najeem and Olamilekan — as members of the group.

In another operation in Ilora, the command arrested suspected kidnappers and recovered firearms following a tip-off from a resident who reported suspicious movements in the Sogidi area.

A local vigilante group intercepted one suspect and alerted the police, prompting the deployment of a joint security team. During preliminary interrogation, the suspect fled into a nearby bush, abandoning a sack containing a dismantled double-barrel gun, a dismantled single-barrel gun and six live cartridges.

Further operations led to the arrest of three suspects — Abdullahi Usman, 18; Aliu Ibrahim, 33; and Seriki Abdullahi Bello, 68. Their premises were searched in line with investigative procedures.

The police said the suspects have been transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad for further investigation aimed at apprehending other fleeing accomplices.

The Commissioner of Police commended the collaboration between security agencies and residents, stating that timely information played a key role in the operations. The command reiterated its commitment to intelligence-led policing and urged the public to remain vigilant and provide credible information.

Meanwhile, an alleged illegal orphanage used for an adoption scam, operating as Uwadia Children Home, has been uncovered in Afuze, Owan East Local Council of Edo State.

The proprietress, Mrs Grace Efe Uwadia, was arrested and handed over to the police in Benin City for investigation and possible prosecution.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Eugenia Abdallah, confirmed the development yesterday, stating that the ministry had commenced wider checks to identify similar facilities across the state.

She said the discovery followed a complaint by a victim, Mr Monday Akpaduma, who reported irregularities in an adoption process.

Akpaduma alleged that he applied to adopt a child through the orphanage and paid N250,000 as a processing fee. He said he was later asked to pay an additional N1 million before the child could be released.

After delays, he was allegedly informed that the adoption fee had been increased to N2 million by the ministry, a claim that raised suspicion and prompted him to report the matter.

A senior ministry official said an internal investigation revealed that all documents presented by Akpaduma were fraudulent and did not originate from the ministry, despite bearing an old ministry letterhead.

The official added that the complainant also identified a staff member of the Social Welfare Department in Owan East Local Government Council as the source of the documents, indicating possible collusion with the illegal orphanage.

The staff member was not present during the operation and could not be arrested. Authorities said efforts are ongoing to apprehend him and other individuals linked to the operation.