The Ogun State Police Command has apprehended eight foreign nationals over their alleged involvement in staging fake kidnapping incidents to extort ransom from unsuspecting families abroad.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed this via a statement issued on Monday, June 8, 2026, saying the suspects were arrested in the Agbado area of the state.
Babaseyi said the foreign nationals were apprehended during an intelligence-led operation carried out by detectives attached to the Ifo Divisional Police Headquarters under the leadership of the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen.
Babaseyi stated that the operation followed a report received on June 6 indicating that a 23-year-old Mauritanian national, Cheik El-Mehdi, had contacted his family overseas, claiming he had been kidnapped in Nigeria and demanding ransom for his release.
He said another suspect, Zakaria Zawadogo, a Burkinabe national, reinforced the ransom demand by threatening that the alleged victim would be killed if payment was not made.
The police spokesman noted that detectives launched an intelligence-driven investigation that traced the suspects to a hideout in Adiyan Town, Agbado, adding that one Zakaria Zawadogo was arrested and subsequently led operatives to the location where seven other members of the syndicate were apprehended.
Those arrested include Zakaria Zawadogo, 34, from Burkina Faso; Cheik El-Mehdi, 23, from Mauritania; Suren Neta, 25, from Cote d’Ivoire; Koffi Breno, 36, from Cote d’Ivoire; Gondo Treso, 32, from Cote d’Ivoire; Kunuji Ezekiel, 27, from Benin Republic; Kougasi John from Cote d’Ivoire; and Hemue Blinsi, 30, from Cote d’Ivoire.
Babaseyi added that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects orchestrated a carefully planned fake abduction aimed at defrauding the victim’s family.
Babaseyi said Neta allegedly lured El-Mehdi into Nigeria, while Zawadogo coordinated the ransom demands and issued threats to pressure the family into making payment.
He noted that further findings revealed that the supposed victim actively participated in the scheme.
The police spokesperson disclosed that the principal suspects – Zakaria Zawadogo, Cheik El-Mehdi, and Neta – have confessed to their roles in the conspiracy, adding that investigations have commenced to determine the full scope of the syndicate’s activities and possible links to other international criminal networks.
Babaseyi stated that case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.
