Lagos Police Arrest 26 Foreign Nationals After Probe Of Alleged Kidnap Case

The Lagos State Police Command has apprehended 26 foreign nationals following an investigation into a reported kidnapping case that authorities later determined to be false.

Those detained include 19 Chadians and seven Cameroonians, according to information obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The investigation began after a 22-year-old Cameroonian woman reported that she had been kidnapped after travelling to Nigeria to meet a 39-year-old Chadian man she had been communicating with online.

Police sources said the complaint prompted an immediate rescue operation, with officers treating the report as a genuine kidnapping case.

However, subsequent investigations reportedly revealed that the woman had fabricated the claim after discovering that the man she travelled to meet was married.

Following the report, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, directed that the case be transferred from Area N Command, Ijede, Ikorodu, to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, for further investigation.

A police source disclosed that language barriers initially complicated the investigation because the woman was unable to communicate fluently in English, leading officers to treat the matter as a serious abduction case.

"The woman travelled from Cameroon to meet her lover whom she had been communicating with online but became disappointed after discovering that he was married. She subsequently sought a way to return home without informing him and reported that she had been kidnapped," the source said.

During the investigation, police operatives traced the location where the woman claimed she was being held and discovered several other foreign nationals residing in an apartment.

The operation resulted in the apprehension of 26 foreign nationals aged between 19 and 50 years, including four women.

According to police sources, the individuals claimed to be involved in a networking business linked to a company identified as Ignite.

Investigators said many of those detained were unable to provide valid travel documents, while some are suspected to have entered Nigeria through irregular routes.

The foreigners are currently undergoing profiling and immigration-related checks to determine their legal status in the country and whether any immigration or criminal laws have been violated.

The investigation is being handled by the Diplomatic and Foreigners Desk of the State Criminal Investigation Department under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the SCID, Dayo Akinbisehin.

Police authorities said investigations remain ongoing and that further action will be taken based on the outcome of the profiling and immigration verification process.

NAN