Police Bust Transnational Travel Scam Syndicate, Rescue 9 Foreign Nationals

Ogun State Police Command has rescued nine foreign nationals suspected to have been kidnapped by a fraudulent transnational travel syndicate under the guise of assisting them to travel overseas for a greener pastures.

The command also confirmed the arrest of two suspected members of the syndicate who have been operating the deceptive travel scheme in the state.

The command’s spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed this in a statement he issued in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Babaseyi, who gave the identities of the suspects as Stephen Kwame and Abubakar Sulaimon, said members of the fraudulent transnational travel syndicate were at their hideout in the Owode Egba area of Obafemi-Owode local government area.

He explained that operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKTU) of the command had on the 6th April, 2026, stormed Owode – Egba hideout of the suspects at about 12: 00hrs, “following intelligence received through INTERPOL” where the principal victim, a 40-year-old Ghanaian, Maclaud Owusu, was being detained against his will.

“The operation led to the successful rescue of the victim unhurt alongside eight other victims held under similar circumstances”.

“Preliminary investigation reveals that the suspects are members of an organised criminal syndicate that lures foreign nationals, particularly from Ghana, to Nigeria under the false promise of facilitating their travel to Europe”.

“Upon arrival, the victims are deceived, confined, and their mobile phones are used to contact relatives and associates to demand money under false pretences. The principal victim, Maclaud Owusu ‘M’, was defrauded of the sum of Thirty-One Thousand Ghana Cedis (₵31,000) before police intervention.’’