Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have uncovered a transnational criminal syndicate allegedly involved in staging fake kidnappings to extort ransom from relatives living abroad, leading to the arrest of eight foreign nationals in Agbado, Ogun State.

The suspects, who are from Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Côte d’Ivoire and the Republic of Benin, were arrested during an intelligence-led operation by detectives attached to the Ifo Divisional Headquarters.

According to police spokesperson DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the investigation began after authorities received information that one of the suspects, Cheik El-Mehdi, had contacted family members overseas, falsely claiming he had been kidnapped in Nigeria and demanding ransom for his release. Another suspect, Zakaria Zawadogo, allegedly reinforced the deception by threatening that the supposed victim would be killed if payment was not made.

Police investigations later revealed that the kidnapping was staged as part of a coordinated scheme designed to defraud the victim’s relatives abroad. Acting on technical intelligence, detectives tracked the suspects to a hideout in Adiyan Town, Agbado, where all eight suspects were apprehended.

Preliminary findings showed that El-Mehdi actively participated in planning the fake abduction, while Suren Neta allegedly lured him into Nigeria and Zawadogo coordinated the ransom demands. The principal suspects have reportedly confessed to their roles in the conspiracy.

The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation into possible links with other transnational criminal networks.

Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the officers involved in the operation and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing and the fight against organised crime.