Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have rescued four children suspected to have been kidnapped while attempting to transport them out of Lagos through the Alafia Bus Terminal in the Coker-Orile area of the state.
The children were later reunited with their parents after a swift police intervention.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, who said the rescue operation reflected the command’s renewed efforts under the Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, to combat crimes involving children and vulnerable persons.
According to the statement, the incident happened around 11:40 p.m. on May 8, 2026, when officers on routine patrol around the bus terminal noticed four children with a woman who was preparing to board a luxury bus leaving Lagos State.
Police said the woman abandoned the children and escaped immediately after sighting the patrol team.
“On 8th May, 2026 at about 11:40pm, while on routine patrol around Alafia Bus Terminal, Coker-Orile, Police operatives observed four children in the company of an unidentified woman who was about to board a luxurious bus heading outside Lagos State. Upon sighting the Police patrol team, the suspected trafficker abandoned the children and fled the scene to an unknown destination,” the statement said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the children had allegedly been abducted earlier from the Ijesha-Tedo area of Lagos and were being moved out of the state before the police operation foiled the plan.
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Police authorities immediately placed the children in protective custody and launched efforts to identify and contact their families.
“The children were immediately taken into protective custody while efforts commenced to trace their families. Their parents were subsequently contacted, and the four children have since been safely reunited with them,” the statement added.
The command said investigations were ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspect and uncover other individuals linked to the alleged child trafficking operation.
Commissioner of Police Tijani Fatai commended the officers involved in the rescue for their vigilance and professionalism, stressing that the command remains committed to safeguarding lives and property across Lagos State.
He also urged parents and guardians to remain alert and promptly report suspicious activities involving children to the nearest police station or security agency.