. As Police bust baby factory, rescue pregnant women, children in Ogun
The Kano State House of Assembly on Monday called on Governor Abba Yusuf to urgently intervene in a diphtheria outbreak that has reportedly killed over 50 children in Rano Local Government Area.
The call followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Rano Constituency, Ibrahim Muhammad, during Monday’s plenary presided over by the Speaker, Ismail Falgore.
Moving the motion, Muhammad said the outbreak was particularly severe in the Ridin and Sabuwar Kaura areas of the local government, resulting in the deaths of more than 50 children.
“Although emergency measures had been taken, including the purchase of medication and deployment of health workers to the affected communities, further intervention is needed to contain the outbreak,” he said.
Muhammad urged Yusuf and the state Commissioner for Health to provide additional emergency support to the affected communities.
He expressed concern that the outbreak had recurred after a similar incident claimed several lives in the area last year.
“We want to inform the Governor and the Commissioner for Health to send further emergency aid to the region because the disease has spread heavily in that area,” he said.
Supporting the motion, the member representing Kiru Constituency, Usman Abubakar Tasiu, said the outbreak had spread beyond Rano to communities in Kiru, including Kwarin Dangora, Dangora town and Yelwa.
Tasiu disclosed that an APC youth leader in Kiru town lost two children to the disease within one day.
He called for the establishment of an emergency committee to tackle the outbreak in affected local government areas, including Rano, Tudun Wada, Kibiya, Bunkure, Bebeji and Kiru.
Another lawmaker representing Dawakin Tofa, Saleh Ahmad, urged the government to intensify vaccination and other preventive measures, warning that diphtheria was contagious and could spread rapidly to neighbouring communities.
In his contribution, the Majority Leader, Lawan Husseini, also urged the state government to invoke the state’s Health Protection Law to contain the outbreak.
He said the law empowers the government to provide emergency relief and free healthcare, as well as isolate and restrict movement in areas affected by infectious diseases.
The House subsequently approved the motion and directed its Committee on Health to engage the Ministry of Health on the implementation of the law and provision of emergency relief to the affected communities.
Meanwhile, Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have dismantled an alleged baby factory in the Mowe area of the state, rescuing two pregnant women and four children.
The command also said it arrested six suspects in connection with the incident.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed this in a statement released on Tuesday.
Babaseyi said the operation was carried out at about 8am on Monday, August 24, 2026, at Toluwalase Street, Abaren Village, via Gbarinmole, Mowe, following sustained intelligence on alleged human trafficking and illegal adoption activities at the facility.
He stated that the two rescued pregnant women were Ilesanmi Foluke, 23, who was seven months pregnant, and Ejekwa Melody, 20, who was eight months pregnant.
He added that four children, comprising two boys and two girls, were also rescued during the operation.
According to Babaseyi, the suspects arrested were Florence Glory Ogbona, 58; Magdalene Julius, 63; Chidike Egwuonwu, 40; Onyechu Chidike, 35; Stephen Ogbona, 39; and an attending nurse, Oseni Kusamotu Idaya.
The PPRO noted that further intelligence-led operations took police operatives to a hospital within the Mowe axis, where another alleged victim, Blessing Bright Effiong, 26, had reportedly given birth to a baby boy on August 20.
Babaseyi said the woman was found receiving medical treatment at the hospital, but the whereabouts of her newborn could not be established.
“The whereabouts of the newborn child could not be accounted for, prompting the arrest of the attending nurse in locating the infant,” the statement said.
The command said the case was being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.
The spokesperson said investigators would work to establish the full extent of the alleged syndicate’s activities, locate the missing newborn and ensure the prosecution of any suspect found culpable.
Reacting, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Bode Ojajuni, commended the officers involved in the operation and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling human trafficking, child trading and other forms of violent crime.
“The CP further urges residents to remain vigilant and continue to support the Police by providing timely and credible information, assuring them that the Command will sustain intelligence-led policing to ensure the safety and protection of all citizens,” Babaseyi added.
