By Mary Izuaka

 

Ogun State Police Command has uncovered a transnational criminal syndicate involved in a carefully coordinated fake kidnapping scheme designed to extort ransom from unsuspecting families abroad.

The command in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi said the arrest followed an intelligence-led operation by detectives from Ifo Division, led by Divisional Police Officer (CSP) Olabisi Kamorudeen.

Mr Babaseyi said the operation led to the arrest of eight foreign nationals, namely Zakaria Zawadogo ‘M’ aged 34yrs, Burkina Faso; Cheik El-Mehdi ‘M’ aged 23yrs, Mauritania; Suren Neta ‘F’ aged 25yrs, Ivory Coast; Koffi Breno ‘M’ aged 36yrs, Ivory Coast; Gondo Treso ‘M’ aged 32yrs, Ivory Coast; Kunuji Ezekiel ‘M’ aged 27yrs, Republic of Benin; Kougasi John ‘M’, Ivory Coast; and Hemue Blinsi ‘M’ aged 30yrs, Côte d’Ivoire.

The police said the suspects were arrested during an intelligence-led operation in Adiyan Town, Agbado Area of Ogun State following credible intelligence and sustained surveillance into a reported kidnapping incident that was later uncovered to be a staged abduction.

“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 said.

Shortly after, it said another suspect, Zakaria Zawadogo, reinforced the demand with threats that the victim would be killed if the ransom was not paid.

Upon receipt of the complaint, Mr Babaseyi said detectives of the Ifo Division immediately activated an intelligence-driven investigation.

He explained that the swift response proved decisive in uncovering the location of the suspects and preventing what could have resulted in a successful cross-border financial crime.

He said a technical intelligence report revealed that the suspects were operating from a hideout in Adiyan Town, Agbado Area of Ogun State.

“Acting on this intelligence, operatives were swiftly mobilised to the location where Zakaria Zawadogo was arrested. He subsequently led detectives to the syndicate’s hideout, resulting in the arrest of Cheik El-Mehdi, Suren Neta, and five other foreign nationals.

“All suspects were taken into custody, while the premises were secured and thoroughly searched in line with due process.”

Preliminary findings, according to the statement, revealed 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 purported victim was also found to have actively participated in the orchestration of the fake abduction.

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

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

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The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, Bode Ojajuni, commended the professionalism, discipline, and swift response of the detectives under CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen, whose intelligence-led action exposed and dismantled the criminal scheme.

Mr Ojajuni noted that the case highlights the increasing sophistication of transnational criminal activities and reaffirms the command’s commitment to proactive policing, intelligence gathering, and sustained operations against organised crime.

He reassured members of the public that Ogun State remains a hostile environment for criminal elements and that the command will continue to strengthen internal and cross-border collaboration to ensure public safety.

The command urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities, particularly cases involving staged kidnappings or ransom demands.