Police in Ogun apprehend eight individuals in crackdown on international kidnapping and extortion scheme

Operatives from the Ogun State Police Command have dismantled a transnational crime ring that staged fake kidnappings to extort money from families abroad, resulting in the arrest of eight foreign nationals in the Agbado area.

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The suspects, who allegedly concocted an elaborate abduction scheme to deceive unsuspecting families overseas, were apprehended during a targeted operation conducted by detectives from the Ifo Divisional Headquarters.

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The arrested individuals, who were identified as Zakaria Zawadogo, 34, from Burkina Faso; Cheik El-Mehdi, 23, from Mauritania; Suren Neta, 25, from Ivory Coast; Koffi Breno, 36, Ivory Coast; Gondo Treso, 32, Ivory Coast; Kunuji Ezekiel, 27, Republic of Benin; Kougasi John, Ivory Coast; and Hemue Blinsi, 30, Côte d’Ivoire, were caught in a hideout in Adiyan Town, Agbado.

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A credible tip and sustained surveillance led to the discovery of the hideout, which was initially reported as a kidnapping case but was later revealed to be a staged abduction, according to the Ogun State Police Command.

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The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, revealed in a statement on Monday that the breakthrough came after a report was received on June 6, 2026, from a concerned informant who alerted the police to Cheik El-Mehdi's claim that he had been kidnapped in Nigeria and was demanding ransom for his release.

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Zakaria Zawadogo allegedly reinforced the ransom demand by threatening to kill the purported victim if payment was not made, prompting a swift response from detectives at the Ifo Division.

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According to Babaseyi, the detectives immediately launched an intelligence-driven investigation, which proved decisive in uncovering the location of the suspects and preventing a potential cross-border financial crime.

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Technical intelligence subsequently traced the suspects to the hideout in Adiyan Town, where operatives moved in to arrest Zawadogo, who later led detectives to the syndicate's hideout and the remaining suspects.

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The police took all the suspects into custody, securing and searching the premises in accordance with due process, and preliminary investigations revealed a coordinated criminal enterprise designed to deceive and extort money from the alleged victim's family.

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The command found that Suren Neta allegedly lured Cheik El-Mehdi into Nigeria, while Zawadogo coordinated the ransom demands and issued threats aimed at compelling payment, with the supposed victim actively participating in planning and executing the fake kidnapping.

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The principal suspects, Zawadogo, El-Mehdi, and Neta, have all confessed to their involvement in the conspiracy, and further investigation is ongoing to determine the full extent of the syndicate's operations and possible links to other transnational criminal networks.

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The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, for further investigation, and the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the detectives for their successful operation.

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Ojajuni praised the professionalism, discipline, and swift response of the officers led by the Divisional Police Officer of Ifo Division, CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen, and noted that the case highlights the growing sophistication of transnational criminal activities.

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The commissioner reaffirmed the command's commitment to intelligence-led policing and sustained operations against organised crime, assuring residents that Ogun State would remain hostile to criminal elements and pledging continued collaboration with relevant agencies to combat emerging security threats.

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Ojajuni also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities, especially incidents involving alleged kidnappings and ransom demands, to enable security agencies to take timely action.