Ogun Police Bust Alleged Transnational Fake Kidnap Syndicate, Arrest Eight Foreign Nationals.
Ogun Police Bust Alleged Transnational Fake Kidnap Syndicate, Arrest Eight Foreign Nationals.
Lucky Akra
The Ogun State Police Command has uncovered an alleged transnational criminal syndicate involved in staging fake kidnappings to extort ransom from unsuspecting families abroad, leading to the arrest of eight foreign nationals.
Revealing the incident in details,the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer,DSP Oluseyi B Babaseyi anipr said,the suspects were arrested during an intelligence led operation carried out by Police officers attached to the Ifo Divisional Police Headquarters under the leadership of the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen, in Adiyan Town, Agbado area of the state.
According to the Command, the operation followed credible intelligence and sustained surveillance into a reported kidnapping case which was later discovered to be a carefully orchestrated abduction scam.
The Command disclosed that the breakthrough came after a report received on June 6, 2026, from a concerned informant, who alleged that a 23 year old Mauritanian national, Cheik El-Mehdi, had contacted his family in May, claiming he was kidnapped in Nigeria and demanding ransom for his release.
Police investigations revealed that another suspect, Zakaria Zawadogo, a Burkinabe national, allegedly reinforced the ransom demand by threatening that the purported victim would be killed if payment was not made.
Acting swiftly on the information, detectives launched an intelligence driven investigation which traced the suspects to a hideout in Adiyan Town.
Police operatives subsequently arrested Zawadogo, who reportedly led investigators to the syndicate’s hideout where seven other suspects were apprehended.
Those arrested include 34 years old, Zakaria Zawadogo from Burkina Faso; 23 years old Cheik El-Mehdi, from Mauritania;25 years old Suren Neta, from Côte d’Ivoire;36 years old Koffi Breno,from Côte d’Ivoire;32 years old Gondo Treso,from Côte d’Ivoire;27 years old Kunuji Ezekiel,from the Republic of Benin; Kougasi John from Côte d’Ivoire; and 30 years old Hemue Blinsi,also from Côte d’Ivoire.
The police said all the suspects were taken into custody while the premises were secured and searched in accordance with due process.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the alleged kidnapping was deliberately staged as part of a coordinated scheme to defraud the victim’s family.
Investigators further discovered that Neta allegedly lured El-Mehdi into Nigeria, while Zawadogo coordinated the ransom demands and issued threats aimed at compelling payment. The purported victim was also found to have actively participated in the plot.
The police added that the principal suspects Zawadogo, El-Mehdi and Neta had confessed to their roles in the conspiracy, while efforts were ongoing to determine the full scope of the syndicate’s activities and possible links to other transnational criminal networks.
The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
Commending the detectives for their professionalism and swift response, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, said the operation demonstrated the command’s commitment to intelligence led policing and the fight against organised crime.
Ojajuni noted that the case underscored the growing sophistication of transnational criminal activities and reaffirmed the command’s resolve to strengthen intelligence gathering and collaboration with relevant agencies to ensure public safety.
He assured residents that Ogun State would remain hostile to criminal elements and urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities, particularly incidents involving alleged kidnappings and ransom demands.
For emergencies and credible information, residents are advised to contact the Ogun State Police Command through: Gateway Shield (Toll-Free): 0800 000 9111 Emergency Lines: 0906 283 7609, 0912 014 1706, 0915 102 7369, 0708 497 2994
