Police Bust Transnational Fake Kidnap Syndicate in Ogun, Arrest Eight Foreign Nationals

Detectives of the Ogun State Police Command have dismantled a sophisticated transnational criminal syndicate allegedly involved in staging kidnappings and extorting ransom from unsuspecting families abroad, leading to the arrest of eight foreign nationals in a major intelligence-led operation.

The suspects were apprehended following investigations into what initially appeared to be a genuine kidnapping case but was later uncovered as a carefully orchestrated fraud designed to obtain money from relatives outside Nigeria. The operation was carried out by detectives attached to the Ifo Divisional Police Headquarters under the leadership of the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen.

Those arrested include 34-year-old Zakaria Zawadogo from Burkina Faso, 23-year-old Cheik El-Mehdi from Mauritania, 25-year-old Suren Neta from Côte d’Ivoire, Koffi Breno 36, Gondo Treso 32, Kunuji Ezekiel 27 from the Republic of Benin, Kougasi John and Hemue Blinsi 30.

Police said the breakthrough followed a complaint received on June 6, 2026, from an informant who reported that Cheik El-Mehdi had contacted family members abroad, claiming he had been kidnapped in Nigeria and urgently needed ransom money to secure his release. According to investigators, the alleged victim repeatedly communicated with relatives, portraying himself as being held against his will by kidnappers.

The situation escalated when another suspect, Zakaria Zawadogo, reportedly contacted the family and issued threats, warning that the victim could be killed if ransom demands were not met. The alarming reports prompted detectives to launch an immediate intelligence-driven investigation to verify the claims and locate the supposed abductors.

Rather than confirming a kidnapping operation, investigators uncovered evidence suggesting the incident had been fabricated from the outset. Technical intelligence and surveillance operations eventually traced the suspects to a hideout in Adiyan Town, within the Agbado area of Ogun State.

Acting on the intelligence, police operatives stormed the location and arrested Zakaria Zawadogo, who subsequently led investigators to other members of the network. Further operations resulted in the arrest of the remaining suspects and the securing of the premises believed to have been used for the fraudulent scheme.

Preliminary findings revealed that the operation was a coordinated criminal enterprise involving multiple actors playing different roles in a staged abduction scenario.

Investigators alleged that Suren Neta was responsible for luring Cheik El-Mehdi into Nigeria, while Zakaria Zawadogo coordinated communications with the victim’s family and managed the ransom demands.

Police also disclosed that the supposed victim, Cheik El-Mehdi, was not an innocent target but an active participant in the conspiracy. According to investigators, he knowingly collaborated with other members of the syndicate to deceive relatives and obtain money through false claims of captivity.

Authorities said the principal suspects have already confessed to their involvement in the operation, while efforts are ongoing to determine whether the network is connected to other international fraud and kidnapping scams.

The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the professionalism and swift response of the detectives whose intelligence-led operation exposed the criminal enterprise.

He described the case as evidence of the increasingly sophisticated methods being employed by transnational criminal groups and stressed the need for continued vigilance and enhanced intelligence gathering.

The police chief reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating organised crime and strengthening collaboration with both local and international law enforcement agencies.

He assured residents that Ogun State would remain hostile territory for criminal elements and warned that anyone involved in cross-border criminal activities would be aggressively pursued and brought to justice.