The Ogun State Police Command has uncovered a suspected transnational fraud syndicate accused of orchestrating fake kidnapping incidents to extort ransom from relatives living in Nigeria and abroad.
The operation led to the arrest of eight foreign nationals during an intelligence-led raid in the Agbado area of Ogun State.
According to the command, the suspects were apprehended by operatives attached to the Ifo Divisional Headquarters following an investigation into a reported kidnap case that was later discovered to be a staged abduction designed to defraud unsuspecting family members.
The arrested suspects were identified as Zakaria Zawadogo, 34, from Burkina Faso; Cheik El-Mehdi, 23, from Mauritania; Suren Neta, 25; Koffi Breno, 36; Gondo Treso, 32; Kougasi John; and Hemue Blinsi, 30, all from Côte d’Ivoire, as well as Kunuji Ezekiel, 27, from the Republic of Benin.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the operation was triggered by a complaint received on June 6 from an informant who reported that one of the suspects had contacted relatives abroad, claiming he had been kidnapped and demanding ransom for his release.
Babaseyi explained that detectives immediately launched a covert investigation, which led to the discovery of the suspects’ hideout in Adiyan Town, Agbado, where they were subsequently arrested.
He said the swift response of the operatives prevented what could have become a successful cross-border financial crime.
Preliminary findings, according to the police, revealed that the group allegedly specialised in staging kidnappings and deceiving relatives into paying ransom for victims who were never actually abducted.
Commending the officers for the breakthrough, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Bode Ojajuni, described the case as a reflection of the increasing sophistication of transnational criminal networks.
He reiterated the command’s commitment to intelligence-driven policing and pledged sustained efforts to dismantle organised criminal groups operating within the state.
The police said investigations are ongoing and that the suspects will be prosecuted upon the conclusion of the inquiry.