Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The father of three-year-old Ibrahim Owodunni has made a desperate appeal to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to personally intervene in the rescue of his son, who has been missing for six months after being abducted from their Lagos home and allegedly sold for N1.5 million. Despite the arrest of three suspects who reportedly confessed to their roles in the abduction and sale of the toddler, the child remains missing, and the family has been subjected to chilling taunts from a man claiming to be one of the traffickers, according to SaharaReporters.
The nightmare began on January 17, 2026, when Ibrahim disappeared while playing in front of the family's residence at 13 Orji Street, Iba New Site, Iyana Iba, Lagos. His father, Ahmed Owoduni, a bricklayer, immediately reported the matter at the Adolf Police Station and launched a search across the neighbourhood, circulating his son's photograph on social media. A breakthrough came after CCTV footage from a neighbour captured Sadiq Ige, a resident of the same street, leading the little boy away shortly before he vanished, according to reports from SaharaReporters and Alpha Times.
The footage led to Ige's arrest, and he reportedly confessed to handing Ibrahim over to another suspect, Adetayo Yusuf. Further investigations led to the arrest of Vera Okon, who allegedly confessed to selling the three-year-old for N1.5 million and taking him to a village in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State on January 25, 2026. Determined to rescue his son, Owoduni spent about N600,000 to hire a bus that conveyed police officers and the arrested suspects from Lagos to Anambra in a desperate recovery mission. However, despite the operation, the team returned to Lagos without the missing child after allegedly failing to locate either Ibrahim or the suspected buyer. Owoduni also claimed that the driver who transported the team described the community where the child was allegedly taken as a notorious "no-go area" associated with child trafficking.
Months after the failed rescue effort, the case took an even more disturbing turn. SaharaReporters obtained audio recordings in which a man identifying himself as "Ibekwe" allegedly called the grieving father, claiming responsibility for transporting the child to Anambra State. In the recordings, the suspect taunted the father, boasted that security agencies had failed to apprehend him, and mockingly suggested that the father should continue spending money on police efforts to track him down. "I dey hear all the things wey dey happen. We never see the pikin. Do you know who dey follow you talk? Na person wey dey carry the pikin come. The person wey carry the pikin come give for Anambra, na him dey follow you talk," the suspect said, according to the audio transcript obtained by SaharaReporters. In one chilling moment, the suspect sarcastically asked whether the father wanted to speak with his son, pretending to call the child to the telephone before laughing off the family's anguish. He also demanded the release of his sister, one of the suspects in police custody, in exchange for Ibrahim's freedom.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday, Owoduni appeared alongside a human rights activist, lamenting that although police had arrested three suspects and recovered the N1.5 million allegedly paid for the child, the boy remains missing. The activist disclosed that Owoduni had spent hundreds of thousands of naira to support the rescue efforts. "This man has tried everything possible. He even provided about N600,000 to hire a vehicle for the police team that travelled to Ihiala in Anambra State in search of the buyer. Unfortunately, they could not get the buyer," the activist said. The activist also revealed that the family had received fresh threats from a man believed to be connected to the child trafficking syndicate. "Recently, on July 2, someone called the father. We don't know how they got his phone number, but the caller threatened him, demanding that he secure the release of the suspects if he wanted to see his son again," he said.
Appealing for intervention, the activist commended officers of the Lagos State Police Command's State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, handling the investigation but insisted that the case now required coordinated action from the highest levels of the Nigeria Police Force. "We appreciate the efforts of the Panti police, but they also need support. We need greater synergy within the Nigeria Police Force," he said. "It took someone only two weeks to recover a missing baby, yet this case has dragged on for six months. Since January, the family has been pursuing this matter. We believe the senior police hierarchy should intervene so that different police units can work together to apprehend those responsible."
The Lagos State branch of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights has also petitioned the State Criminal Investigation Department, calling for an urgent investigation into the alleged involvement of a man identified as Okuchukwu Ibekwe, an unnamed lawyer, and a police officer popularly known as "Small" over the disappearance of the child. According to the petition, the caller who mocked the father on July 4 allegedly allowed him to briefly speak with a child believed to be Ibrahim. "The boy was heard saying, 'Hello daddy,' after which the caller continued, demanding the release of his sister and insisting that the child's father should inform the police that Ibekwe had called from Anambra," the petition stated.
The latest revelations have heightened concerns among investigators over what is believed to be a well-organised child trafficking syndicate operating between Lagos and Anambra states. As of the time of the report by SaharaReporters, Ibrahim Owoduni remained missing, while police investigations into the case continued. The financial burden of the search has become unbearable for the child's father. "We also need assistance because the tracker we contacted requested N800,000. This man is a bricklayer. He simply cannot afford that amount. He has exhausted his resources and is financially overwhelmed," the activist said. He urged senior police authorities, including the Inspector-General of Police, to intervene and ensure Ibrahim's safe return.
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