Badagry has emerged as the focal point of a major police operation that led to the rescue of six children and the arrest of five suspects linked to an alleged child trafficking ring operating along the Ogun–Lagos axis.

Security sources said the breakthrough followed the discovery of a six-year-old boy, Samuel Honesty, who was abandoned in front of the Gowon Estate Police Station in Lagos on January 21, 2026. Investigations later traced the child’s abduction to Idanyin in Ogun State, where he was reportedly taken on November 28, 2025.

Acting on intelligence, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit stormed Badagry on January 23, arresting five suspects believed to be key players in the syndicate. During the operation, officers also rescued six children from a facility identified as Joyful Kids Orphanage Home in Badagry, which was allegedly being used to harbour abducted minors.

The orphanage is said to be operated by a 36-year-old woman, Joy Chidozie, who allegedly admitted during interrogation that she purchased the abducted child from another suspect for ₦1.5 million. Police sources believe Badagry served as a transit and holding point for the illegal activities of the group.

All rescued children have since been placed under protective care, while investigations continue to track down other suspects and determine the full scope of the operation. The police have assured residents that those found culpable will face prosecution in line with the law.