Odita Sunday 
Police Rescue Four Kidnapped Children At Lagos Bus Terminal, Launch Manhunt For Suspect
By Odita Sunday
Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have rescued four kidnapped children at the Alafia Bus Termina
l in the Coker-Orile area of Lagos, thwarting what authorities described as an attempted interstate child trafficking operation.
The children have since been reunited with their parents, while the Police have launched a manhunt for the fleeing female suspect who allegedly attempted to transport them out of Lagos under the cover of darkness.
The Command disclosed that the rescue operation was carried out on May 8, 2026, at about 11:40 p.m., when a patrol team on routine surveillance around the Alafia Bus Terminal observed four children in the company of an unidentified woman preparing to board a luxury bus heading outside Lagos State.
According to the Police, the suspected trafficker immediately abandoned the children and fled upon sighting the patrol team.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the children had earlier been kidnapped from the Ijesha-Tedo area of Lagos State and were allegedly being moved to an unknown destination before the timely intervention of the Police operatives.
Confirming the development in a statement on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said the children were immediately taken into protective custody while efforts commenced to identify and contact their families.
“Their parents were subsequently contacted, and the four children have since been safely reunited with them. Investigation is ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect and unravel other individuals connected to the criminal act,” the statement read.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, commended the vigilance and professionalism displayed by the patrol officers involved in the operation.
He reiterated the Command’s commitment to tackling crimes against children and protecting vulnerable persons across the state.
The CP also urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant regarding the safety and whereabouts of their children and to promptly report suspicious persons or activities involving minors to security agencies.
The Command assured residents that ongoing intelligence and enforcement operations would continue across strategic locations in Lagos to curb kidnapping, trafficking, and other organised crimes.
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