The Ogun State Police Command has arrested eight members of a transnational criminal syndicate allegedly involved in orchestrating fake kidnapping schemes aimed at extorting ransom from unsuspecting families abroad.
The suspects, all foreign nationals currently in police custody at the State Police Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, were identified as 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, also from Côte d’Ivoire.
Thecaveat.com.ng gathered that the suspects were apprehended during an intelligence-led operation in Adiyan Town, Agbado area of Ogun State, following credible information and sustained surveillance into a reported kidnapping case that was later uncovered to be a staged abduction.
Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said 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, claiming he had been kidnapped in Nigeria and demanding ransom for his release.
According to Babaseyi, shortly after the initial contact, another suspect, Zakaria Zawadogo, reinforced the ransom demand by threatening that the purported victim would be killed if payment was not made.
Upon receiving the complaint, detectives attached to the Ifo Division immediately launched an intelligence-driven investigation.
"The swift response proved decisive in uncovering the suspects' location and preventing what could have resulted in a successful cross-border financial crime," the police spokesperson stated.
He explained that technical intelligence traced the suspects to a hideout in Adiyan Town, Agbado, where operatives arrested Zakaria Zawadogo. The suspect subsequently led detectives to the syndicate's base, 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," Babaseyi added.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the operation was a well-coordinated criminal enterprise involving the deliberate staging of a kidnapping to defraud the victim's family.
Police findings further showed that Suren Neta allegedly lured Cheik El-Mehdi into Nigeria, while Zakaria Zawadogo coordinated the ransom demands and issued threats to pressure the family into making payment. Investigators also established that the purported victim actively participated in planning and executing the fake abduction.
The police spokesman disclosed that the principal suspects — Zakaria Zawadogo, Cheik El-Mehdi and Suren Neta — have confessed to their roles in the conspiracy.
He noted that investigations are ongoing to determine the full scope of the syndicate's activities and possible links to other transnational criminal networks.
The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further discreet investigation.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the professionalism, discipline and swift response of detectives led by CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen, whose intelligence-driven operation exposed and dismantled the criminal network.
Ojajuni noted that the case underscores the growing sophistication of transnational criminal activities and reaffirmed the Command's commitment to proactive policing, intelligence gathering and sustained operations against organised crime.
The police commissioner assured residents that Ogun State would remain hostile to criminal elements, adding that the Command would continue to strengthen both internal and cross-border collaboration to enhance public safety.
He also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities, particularly cases involving alleged kidnappings and ransom demands