Ondo Amotekun Busts Organ Harvesting Syndicate, Rescues Kidnapped Child in Akure
Akure, Ondo State, May 19-20, 2025 – Operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun Corps, have smashed a notorious syndicate involved in child trafficking and organ harvesting. The breakthrough followed the kidnapping of a young boy, Eriponmile, from Ijoka, Davog area of Akure, the state capital.
Swift Rescue and Arrests
The infant was tracked to a hospital in the South-East, where he had been medically tested and declared fit for organ harvesting. Acting on a distress call, Amotekun deployed plainclothes operatives who located and rescued Eriponmile within 48 hours, reuniting him with his grateful parents.
Ondo Amotekun Commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said the syndicate had been operating for a long time, stealing many children from Ondo State and selling them to accomplices in Anambra State. He paraded the suspects arrested, including:
- Amaka Ngozi Ifeanyi (alleged ring leader)
- Adaeze Kenneth Etose (daughter of Amaka, who denied involvement)
- Omolara
Two other suspects remain at large.
Gruesome Details of the Syndicate’s Operations
Confessions revealed the syndicate’s horrifying trade in babies, selling them for as much as ₦500,000 each to buyers in Anambra State. One suspect admitted to selling three of her own children, including a one-year-old baby rejected due to incompatible genotype.
Amaka Ngozi Ifeanyi confessed to previously selling clothes but turned to trafficking babies, taking them to motherless babies’ homes in Onitsha for resale. Her daughter Adaeze distanced herself from the syndicate, denying involvement and stating she refused to participate despite pressure.
Broader Security Efforts and Community Impact
This bust follows other recent Amotekun operations, including the arrest of a 28-member kidnapping and human trafficking syndicate that duped Ghanaians and Nigerians with false promises of visa procurement and overseas travel.
Commander Adeleye praised the intelligence efforts and urged youths to avoid fraudulent agents promising overseas opportunities. The Ondo State Government, led by Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has been commended for supporting security agencies in tackling rising insecurity.
The father of the rescued boy, Eriseun Omolewo, expressed profound gratitude to Amotekun for their swift and effective intervention.
