The Ekiti State Police Command has uncovered an illegal baby factory in Ikere Local Government Area of the state, leading to the arrest of five suspects.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Joe Eribo, disclosed this while briefing journalists, saying the operation followed credible intelligence received by the command.
According to Eribo, the illegal facility was located behind a popular hotel along Ise-Ekiti Road, Ikere-Ekiti, where operatives arrested the prime suspect, Onyechi Oluwadare, 43, alongside four other individuals.
“On January 24, 2026, at about 8:30 a.m., the Command received credible information that the prime suspect, Oluwadare Onyechi, a 43-year-old woman, was operating an illegal baby factory with four other accomplices behind Inisa Hotel and Suites, along Ise-Ekiti Road, Ikere-Ekiti,” the police commissioner said.
He explained that following the tip-off, police operatives swiftly cordoned off the premises and arrested the suspects identified as Onuoha Gloria, 28; Victoria Linus, 25; Ihegbogu Mercy, 21; and Emmanuel Esther, 23, who was heavily pregnant at the time of the operation.
The police boss further revealed that a search of the premises led to the rescue of six children, aged between two and nine years, who are believed to have been held under conditions of exploitation.
Items recovered from the scene include baby delivery materials, rolls of dexamethasone tablets, and bottles of Goya oil.
However, when questioned by journalists, the prime suspect denied the allegations, claiming that the building was being used solely as a prayer centre for individuals seeking divine intervention.
The Commissioner of Police said investigations were ongoing, assuring that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation.