By Adesakin Adefemi
Ogun State Police Command has arrested eight foreign nationals for allegedly staging a kidnapping to extort ransom from a Mauritanian family abroad. The arrests followed an intelligence-led operation by detectives of Ifo Division in Adiyan Town, Agbado area, on June 6, 2026, exposing what police described as a carefully coordinated transnational fraud.
The breakthrough came after a concerned informant alerted police that 23-year-old Mauritanian Cheik El-Mehdi had contacted relatives in May, claiming he was kidnapped in Nigeria and demanding payment for his release. Another suspect, Zakaria Zawadogo, 34, of Burkina Faso, was said to have reinforced the demand with death threats if ransom was not paid.
Led by Ifo DPO CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen, detectives traced the syndicate to a hideout in Adiyan Town through technical intelligence. Zawadogo was arrested first and later led operatives to the rest of the group, including El-Mehdi, the supposed victim.
Police identified the arrested suspects as Zawadogo; El-Mehdi; Suren Neta, 25, of Ivory Coast; Koffi Breno, 36, Ivory Coast; Gondo Treso, 32, Ivory Coast; Kunuji Ezekiel, 27, of Benin Republic; Kougasi John, Ivory Coast; and Hemue Blinsi, 30, Côte d’Ivoire.
Preliminary investigation revealed the abduction was staged. Neta allegedly lured El-Mehdi into Nigeria, while Zawadogo coordinated ransom demands and issued threats. El-Mehdi, presented as the victim, was found to have actively participated in the plot to defraud his own family.
The three principal suspects have confessed to their roles in the conspiracy, according to the Ogun State Police Command. All suspects remain in custody while the premises were searched in line with due process.
The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation into the syndicate’s operations and possible links to other transnational criminal networks.
Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the professionalism and swift response of the Ifo Division detectives. He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to intelligence-driven policing and urged residents to report suspicious activities, especially staged kidnappings or ransom demands, through Gateway Shield toll-free 0800 000 9111 or emergency lines 0906 283 7609, 0912 014 1706, 0915 102 7369, and 0708 497 2994.
