…Suspects allegedly staged abductions to extort relatives abroad
Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested eight foreign nationals over an alleged transnational kidnapping-for-ransom fraud scheme operating in Agbado, Ogun State.
According to police investigations, the suspects allegedly staged fake kidnappings and made fraudulent ransom demands to relatives living abroad.
The operation was uncovered following intelligence received by officers at the Ifo Divisional Police Headquarters concerning a purported kidnapping victim, Cheik El-Mehdi, who had reportedly contacted family members overseas claiming he had been abducted in Nigeria.
The suspects arrested include nationals of Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Côte d’Ivoire and the Republic of Benin.
Police said technical intelligence traced the group to a hideout in Adiyan Town, Agbado, where they were apprehended during a coordinated operation.
Investigators allege that Zakaria Zawadogo coordinated ransom demands and threats, while Suren Neta allegedly lured the supposed victim into Nigeria.
Authorities further claim that the purported victim actively participated in planning the fake abduction.
Police spokesperson Oluseyi Babaseyi said preliminary findings indicate the operation was a coordinated criminal enterprise designed to extort money from relatives abroad.
The principal suspects have reportedly confessed, while investigations continue to determine whether the syndicate has links to wider international criminal networks.
The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.
Reacting to the development, Bode Ojajuni commended officers involved in the operation and said the case highlights the growing sophistication of transnational crime.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing and urged residents to promptly report suspicious kidnapping and ransom-related incidents.
