The Oyo State Police Command has appealed to parents and guardians whose children are missing to visit the state Police Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, following the rescue of 17 children from an alleged child-trafficking syndicate.
The appeal came as the Command released information about the rescued victims, whose names were made public after members of the alleged trafficking syndicate were paraded at the Eleyele Police Headquarters in Ibadan on Monday.
Giving an update on the investigation, the Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, said confessions allegedly obtained from some of the suspects led detectives to trace the children to Mowe in Ogun State and Agbor in Delta State, where they were subsequently rescued.
According to the Commissioner, the 17 rescued victims comprise 16 children between the ages of two and seven years, as well as a nine-day-old infant.
CP Olugbenga also confirmed that six other children allegedly died while in captivity.
The Police Command, therefore, urged parents and guardians who have been searching for missing children to visit the Oyo State Police Headquarters in Eleyele to determine whether any of the rescued children could be theirs.
Parents and guardians whose missing children are not among the 17 rescued victims were also advised to formally report their cases to the police and provide relevant information that could assist investigators in tracing the children.
The Command assured members of the public that investigations into the alleged child-trafficking network were continuing, adding that efforts had been intensified to identify and apprehend other persons who might be connected to the syndicate, rescue additional victims and ensure that all those found culpable face the full weight of the law.
