“The arrests, carried out in collaboration with Interpol bureaus in Accra and Abidjan, marked another major breakthrough against cross-border organised crime in Nigeria”
By Nudoiba Ojen
Interpol Nigeria has dismantled an international kidnapping and human trafficking syndicate run by foreign nationals.
This followed an intelligence-driven operation led by the head of Interpol at the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos, Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajuni.
The arrests, carried out in collaboration with Interpol bureaus in Accra and Abidjan, marked another major breakthrough against cross-border organised crime in Nigeria.
The suspects, who were arrested in coordinated raids across Lagos and Ogun states, comprised eight suspects, who are citizens of Ghana, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire.
They s were arraigned before a Lagos Chief Magistrate’s Court on Friday and remanded in a correctional facility for 30 days pending further investigation.
Those in custody include four Ghanaians, Gabriella Ewenam (25), Oscar Semekor (25), David Abban (25), and Tefutor Obed (25); an Ivorian, Dissa Latif (22); a Beninese, Gnango Gerrad (26); two Burkinabes, Niamba Kikao (23) and Kalizeta Zon (22).
Police prosecutor, Morufu Animashaun, told the court that the gang had lured victims from Ghana, Benin Republic and other West African countries into Nigeria under the guise of securing Canadian work visas.
The victims were then kidnapped, trafficked or defrauded with ransoms paid through mobile money accounts traced to the suspects.
One victim was trafficked from Ghana after his family paid $1,007 (about N2 million) for a fake work permit.
In another case reported through Interpol Abidjan, victims were abducted and ransoms of N12.2 million were collected before they were freed in Badagry, Lagos, and Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.
The breakthrough was the result of painstaking work by Ojajuni’s team, who tracked the suspects’ movements with digital surveillance tools before storming their hideouts.
Inspectors Sanusi Akindele and Oyebisi Oni, both of Interpol Lagos, deposed to affidavits detailing the gang’s cross-border operations, rescue of victims, and seizure of evidence.
Magistrate Azeez Alogba granted the police request to hold the suspects for 30 days to allow Interpol to conclude investigations and obtain legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
The case was adjourned to November 17, 2025.
