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By Faheem Lawal
Detectives of Ifo Division, Ogun State Police Command, have uncovered a transnational criminal syndicate that staged a fake kidnap to extort ransom from an unsuspecting family abroad.
Eight foreigners from Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, and the Republic of Benin were arrested in connection with the crime .
They were arrested at Adiyan Town, Agbado Area of the state.
Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the breakthrough followed a report received on June 6, 2026, from a concerned informant, who alerted the police that a 23- year -old Mauritanian, Cheik El-Mehdi, had contacted his family abroad in May 2026, claiming that he had been kidnapped in Nigeria and demanding ransom for his release.
Another suspect, Zakaria Zawadogo, reinforced the demand with threats that the victim would be killed if the ransom was not paid.
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“Detectives of the Ifo Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen, immediately activated an intelligence-driven investigation that traced the suspects to a hideout in Adiyan Town. Zakaria Zawadogo was arrested first and subsequently led detectives to the syndicate’s hideout, where Cheik El-Mehdi, Suren Neta, and five other foreign nationals were arrested.
“Those arrested are :Zakaria Zawadogo, 34, Burkina Faso; Cheik El-Mehdi, 23, Mauritania; Suren Neta, 25, Ivory Coast; Koffi Breno, 36, Ivory Coast; Gondo Treso, 32, Ivory Coast; Kunuji Ezekiel, 27, Republic of Benin; Kougasi John, Ivory Coast; and Hemue Blinsi, 30, Côte d’Ivoire.
“Preliminary findings painted a chilling picture of a carefully coordinated criminal enterprise. Investigators established that Suren Neta lured Cheik El-Mehdi into Nigeria, while Zawadogo coordinated the ransom demands and issued threats to compel payment. In a shocking twist, the purported victim, Cheik El-Mehdi, was also found to have actively participated in orchestrating his own fake abduction.
“The three principal suspects: Zawadogo, El-Mehdi, and Neta have all confessed to their involvement in the conspiracy. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.”
Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, commended the professionalism and swift response of the detectives, noting that the case highlights the increasing sophistication of transnational criminal activities. He assured the public that the state remains a hostile environment for criminal elements.
