By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria
The Ogun State Police Command has uncovered and dismantled an international criminal syndicate operating a fake kidnapping and ransom fraud scheme, leading to the arrest of eight foreign nationals in an intelligence-led operation.
This was contained in a press statement shared on Monday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command
Eleweran Abeokuta, Ogub State, DSP Oluseyi B. Babaseyi anipr
The suspects were arrested by detectives attached to the Ifo Division, led by CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen, following credible intelligence that exposed a staged abduction designed to extort money from victims’ families abroad.
Those arrested include Zakaria Zawadogo (34) from Burkina Faso, Cheik El-Mehdi (23) from Mauritania, Suren Neta (25) from Côte d’Ivoire, Koffi Breno (36) from Côte d’Ivoire, Gondo Treso (32) from Côte d’Ivoire, Kunuji Ezekiel (27) from the Republic of Benin, Kougasi John from Côte d’Ivoire, and Hemue Blinsi (30) from Côte d’Ivoire.
Police said the operation was triggered on June 6, 2026, after a concerned informant reported that Cheik El-Mehdi had contacted his family abroad claiming he was kidnapped in Nigeria and demanding ransom for his release.
“Shortly after, another suspect reinforced the demand with threats that the victim would be killed if the ransom was not paid,” the Command said.
Acting on the report, detectives launched surveillance operations that led to the identification and tracking of the suspects to a hideout in Adiyan Town, Agbado area of Ogun State.
“The technical intelligence report revealed that the suspects were operating from a hideout in Adiyan Town, Agbado Area of Ogun State,” police sources said.
One suspect, Zakaria Zawadogo, was first arrested and later led operatives to the location where the remaining members of the syndicate were apprehended.
Investigations revealed that the operation was a coordinated fraud scheme in which the alleged victim actively participated, while other members coordinated ransom demands and threats to pressure the family into payment.
“Preliminary findings revealed that the operation was a coordinated criminal enterprise involving the deliberate staging of a kidnapping scenario to defraud the victim’s family,” the police stated.
The Command confirmed that the principal suspects have confessed to the crime, while further investigations are ongoing to determine wider links to transnational criminal networks.
The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet investigation.
Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the operatives for what he described as a breakthrough in intelligence-led policing, noting that the case reflects the growing sophistication of cross-border fraud networks.
The Command warned that Ogun State remains hostile to criminal syndicates and urged members of the public to report suspicious cases of staged a
bductions and ransom demands.
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