Six children have reportedly died in captivity while 17 others were rescued as the Oyo State Police Command uncovered an alleged interstate child-trafficking network.
The command also announced the arrest of seven suspects in connection with the alleged criminal operation.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Olugbenga, disclosed this during a briefing in Ibadan, saying investigations revealed a network allegedly involved in abducting children, moving them across state borders and selling them to buyers.
Police said some of the children were allegedly sold for between ₦500,000 and ₦600,000, raising concerns over the scale of the trafficking operation.
The investigation also uncovered an alleged ritual dimension, with police accusing some suspects of supplying the bodies of children who died in captivity to suspected ritualists.
According to the command, the breakthrough followed investigations into reports of missing children. Detectives subsequently traced the alleged trafficking network and rescued 17 children.
Police said efforts were ongoing to locate other missing children and identify more suspects believed to be connected to the operation.
The seven arrested suspects are expected to face prosecution upon completion of investigations.
The command urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant and immediately report missing children to the police and other relevant authorities.
Police also called for greater community cooperation to help expose child abductors, traffickers and other criminal elements operating across state boundaries.