The Ogun State police command, Ifo division, has arrested eight foreign nationals in Adiyan Town, Agbado, for allegedly staging a kidnapping to extort ransom from the unsuspecting family of a fake victim living abroad.

The command, in a statement on X, on Monday, stated that the kidnap syndicate members were nabbed during an operation in the area, following credible intelligence and sustained surveillance, in response to a report received on Saturday from a concerned informant.

The statement read, “Detectives attached to Ifo Division of the Ogun State Police Command, led by CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen, the Divisional Police Officer, have uncovered a transnational criminal syndicate involved in a carefully coordinated fake kidnapping scheme designed to extort ransom from unsuspecting families abroad. 

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

“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. Shortly after, 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, detectives of the Ifo Division immediately activated an intelligence-driven investigation. This swift response proved decisive in uncovering the location of the suspects and preventing what could have resulted in a successful cross-border financial crime.

“The 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.”

Stating that all the suspects were taken into custody, while the premises were secured and thoroughly searched in line with due process, the command said 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 command also stated that, “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 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.”

According to the command, the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet and further investigation.

The Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, while commending the detectives’ professionalism, discipline, and swift response, noted that the case highlighted the increasing sophistication of transnational criminal activities.

Mr Ojajuni said the command remained committed to proactive policing, intelligence gathering, and sustained operations against organised crime.