The Ogun State Police Command has arrested eight foreign nationals over a staged abduction and ransom fraud scheme.
In a statement on Monday, the command said the suspects, who are members of a transnational criminal syndicate, were involved in fake kidnapping schemes designed to extort ransom from unsuspecting families abroad.
Five of the suspects — Suren Neta, Koffi Breno, Gondo Treso, Kougasi John, and Hemue Blinsi — are from Ivory Coast.
Others are Zakaria Zawadogo from Burkina Faso, Cheik El-Mehdi from Mauritania, and Kunuji Ezekiel from the Republic of Benin.
The police said they were arrested during an intelligence-led operation in Adiyan town, in the Agbado area of the state, following credible intelligence and an investigation into a reported fake kidnapping incident.
“The breakthrough followed a report received on June 6, 2026, from a concerned informant who alerted the police that a 23-year-old Mauritanian national, Cheik El-Mehdi, had contacted his family abroad in May 2026, claiming he had been kidnapped in Nigeria and demanding ransom for his release,” the statement read.
“Shortly after, another suspect, Zakaria Zawadogo, reinforced the demand with threats that the victim would be killed if the ransom was not paid.”
The command said that, upon receiving the complaint, detectives immediately launched an intelligence-driven investigation, which led to the location of the suspects and prevented what could have become a successful cross-border financial crime.
“Acting on this intelligence, operatives were swiftly mobilised to the location, where Zakaria Zawadogo was arrested,” the statement read.
“He subsequently led detectives to the syndicate’s hideout, resulting in the arrest of Cheik El-Mehdi, Suren Neta, and five other foreign nationals.”
The command said all suspects were taken into custody, while the premises were secured and thoroughly searched in line with due process.
According to the statement, preliminary findings showed that the operation was a coordinated criminal enterprise involving the deliberate staging of a kidnapping scenario to defraud the victim’s family.
“It was further established that Suren Neta lured Cheik El-Mehdi into Nigeria, while Zakaria Zawadogo coordinated the ransom demands and issued threats to compel payment,” the command said.
“The purported victim was also found to have actively participated in orchestrating the fake abduction.”
The command said the principal suspects — Zawadogo, El-Mehdi, and Neta — have all confessed to their involvement in the conspiracy, while further investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the syndicate’s operations and possible links to other transnational criminal networks.
The police added that the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.
Bode Ojajuni, commissioner of police, commended the professionalism, discipline, and swift response of the detectives, noting that their intelligence-led action exposed and dismantled the criminal scheme.
Ojajuni said the case highlights the increasing sophistication of transnational criminal activities and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to proactive policing, intelligence gathering, and sustained operations against organised crime.
He reassured members of the public that the state remains a hostile environment for criminal elements, adding that the command will continue to strengthen internal and cross-border collaboration to ensure public safety.
