The Ogun State Government has taken custody of a two-day old baby dumped by the mother in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that the baby was found by a woman at Sayedero Market in Ilaro, last week.
However, there was controversy following two viral videos wherein the woman who reportedly found the baby claimed that the baby was missing after the intervention of the officials of the government from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Motunrayo Adijat Adeleye, on Thursday, July 24, 2025 confirmed the custody of the baby, dismissing claims that the rescued baby went missing.
Adeleye said the two-day-old baby was legally taken into protective custody by the government after due documentation by the police.
She described the woman’s actions as an attempt to emotionally blackmail the government and mislead the public.
The commissioner also rejected alleged planned adoption by the woman who found the baby.
“We don’t normally allow those who know history of a baby to adopt him or her because of the future,” she explained.
Adeleye declared that the baby now belongs to Governor Dapo Abiodun who, she described as the father of all rescued babies in the state.
Any child found in Ogun State belongs to the state government. They are all children of the governor and that’s why whenever we are naming them, their surname is that of the governor of the day.
“It’s not something that stated with Prince Dapo Abiodun, it’s something that has been there. You see some children they bear Daniel (referring to former Governor Gbenga Daniel); some of them, their surname is Amosun (referring to former Governor Ibikunle Amosun) and some of them, their surname is Abiodun, depending on when they are found,” she added.
