The Ogun State Police Command has busted a transnational criminal syndicate allegedly involved in staging fake kidnapping incidents to extort ransom from unsuspecting families abroad, arresting eight foreign nationals in the process.
The suspects, from Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and the Republic of Benin, were rounded up during an intelligence-led operation by detectives attached to the Ifo Divisional Police Headquarters in Adiyan Town, Agbado area of Ogun State.
Police spokesman, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the operation followed a tip-off that a 23-year-old Mauritanian national, Cheik El-Mehdi, had contacted his family in May, claiming he had been kidnapped in Nigeria and demanding ransom for his release.
Investigations revealed that another suspect, Zakaria Zawadogo, a Burkinabe national, allegedly backed up the claim by threatening the family that the purported victim would be killed if the ransom was not paid.
Acting swiftly on the intelligence, detectives traced the suspects to their hideout in Adiyan Town.
Zawadogo was first arrested and subsequently led investigators to the location where seven other members of the syndicate were apprehended.
Those arrested are Zakaria Zawadogo, 34, from Burkina Faso; Cheik El-Mehdi, 23, from Mauritania; Suren Neta, 25, from Côte d’Ivoire; Koffi Breno, 36; Gondo Treso, 32; Kougasi John; Hemue Blinsi, 30, all from Côte d’Ivoire; and Kunuji Ezekiel, 27, from the Republic of Benin.
Police said preliminary findings showed that the suspects allegedly orchestrated a fake kidnapping plot designed to defraud El-Mehdi’s family.
Investigators further alleged that Suren Neta lured El-Mehdi into Nigeria, while Zawadogo coordinated the ransom demands and threats. El-Mehdi, who posed as the kidnap victim, was also said to have actively participated in the scheme.
According to the police, key suspects have confessed to their roles in the conspiracy, while efforts are ongoing to determine the full extent of the syndicate’s activities and possible links to other international criminal networks.
The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.
Commending the officers involved, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, praised the professionalism and swift response of detectives led by the Divisional Police Officer of Ifo Division, CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen.
He said the case exposed the growing sophistication of transnational criminal networks and reaffirmed the command’s determination to sustain intelligence-driven operations against organised crime.
Ojajuni also assured residents that Ogun State would remain hostile to criminals and urged the public to promptly report suspicious activities, especially cases involving alleged kidnappings and ransom demands.Investigations are continuing.
