Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have uncovered a transnational criminal network allegedly involved in staging kidnappings to extort ransom from victims’ families abroad, leading to the arrest of eight foreign nationals in the Agbado area of the state.
The suspects were apprehended during an intelligence-led operation carried out by detectives attached to the Ifo Divisional Headquarters under the leadership of the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen.
According to the police, the operation followed the discovery of a carefully orchestrated fake kidnapping plot designed to deceive relatives overseas into paying ransom for the release of an alleged victim.
Those arrested include Zakaria Zawadogo, 34, from Burkina Faso; Cheik El-Mehdi, 23, a Mauritanian national; Suren Neta, 25, from Côte d’Ivoire; Koffi Breno, 36; Gondo Treso, 32; Kougasi John; Hemue Blinsi, 30, all from Côte d’Ivoire; and Kunuji Ezekiel, 27, from the Republic of Benin.
Police investigations revealed that the case originated from a report received on June 6, 2026, when a concerned informant alerted authorities that Cheik El-Mehdi had contacted his family abroad in May, claiming he had been kidnapped in Nigeria and demanding ransom for his release.
Investigators further discovered that another suspect, Zakaria Zawadogo, allegedly reinforced the ransom demands by threatening that the purported victim would be killed if payment was not made.
Acting on the information, detectives launched an intelligence-driven investigation which led to the identification of a hideout in Adiyan Town, Agbado, where members of the syndicate were allegedly operating.
Police operatives subsequently stormed the location and arrested Zawadogo, who reportedly led investigators to the group’s hideout, resulting in the arrest of the remaining suspects.
Authorities said preliminary findings indicated that the kidnapping was entirely fabricated as part of a coordinated scheme to obtain money from the victim’s relatives overseas.
Investigators also established that Suren Neta allegedly facilitated Cheik El-Mehdi’s movement into Nigeria, while Zawadogo coordinated the ransom negotiations and threats aimed at pressuring family members to pay. The alleged victim was equally found to have played an active role in executing the fraudulent plot.
Police disclosed that the principal suspects — Zakaria Zawadogo, Cheik El-Mehdi and Suren Neta — have confessed to their involvement in the conspiracy, while further investigations are ongoing to determine the full scope of the syndicate’s activities and any possible connections to other transnational criminal organisations.
The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.
Commending the operatives involved in the operation, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, praised the professionalism and swift response of the detectives whose intelligence-led efforts exposed the criminal network.
The police commissioner noted that the case demonstrates the evolving and sophisticated nature of transnational crimes and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to strengthening intelligence gathering and coordinated operations against organised criminal groups.
He also assured residents that Ogun State would remain hostile to criminal elements, stressing that the command would continue to deepen collaboration with relevant agencies to enhance public safety and security.