Police uncover fake kidnapping syndicates in Ogun, Delta

. As Oyo demolishes kidnappers’ den JOSEPH OKWUOFU and EBENEZER ADUROKIYA, Warri with Agency report The Oyo State Government, on Monday, began the demolition of a kidnapper’s hideout located in the Lakoun community, along the Ayegun-Olojuoro Road in Ibadan. The structure was identified as the operational base where Mrs Olaide... The post Police uncover fake kidnapping syndicates in Ogun, Delta appeared first on Champion Newspapers LTD.

News Jun 9, 2026 0 9 Add to Reading List

Police uncover fake kidnapping syndicates in Ogun, Delta

. As Oyo demolishes kidnappers’ den

JOSEPH OKWUOFU and EBENEZER ADUROKIYA, Warri with Agency report

The Oyo State Government, on Monday, began the demolition of a kidnapper’s hideout located in the Lakoun community, along the Ayegun-Olojuoro Road in Ibadan.

The structure was identified as the operational base where Mrs Olaide Adegoke John-Paul, the younger sister of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and her 12-year-old twin sons were held captive before their rescue over the weekend.

Sharing a video of the demolition on X on Monday, an Oyo-based local media platform, Oyo Affairs, wrote, “The Oyo State Government has demolished kidnappers’ den at Lakoun, Ayegun-Olojuoro road, Ibadan, where the sister of former Minister Adebayo Adelabu and her children were held captive.”

The flattening of the criminal den was said to follow a high-powered security assessment of the site led by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Oluwagbemiga Abimbola, on Sunday.

Another digital news platform, Oyo Matters, shared additional photos and a video of the ongoing demolition on X, writing, “Oyo Government Demolishes Building Used as Kidnappers’ Hideout in Adelabu Family Abduction, Levels Property to the Ground.”

In a related development, the Lagos State Police Command has dismissed fears over a circulating threat notice allegedly pasted in a school, claiming that bandits planned to attack and abduct schoolchildren, assuring residents that there is no verified intelligence supporting such a threat.

In a post shared on X on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Ikeja, the Superintendent of Police, Abimbola Adebisi, said the command is aware of the report, but urged parents, guardians, school authorities, and residents to remain calm, stressing that there is currently no credible indication of any imminent attack within the state.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Tijani Fatai, has ordered an immediate assessment of the situation and directed enhanced security deployment across schools and other strategic locations in the state.

Police authorities also confirmed that operatives, in collaboration with other security agencies, have been deployed to safeguard schools, critical infrastructure, and communities.

Reassuring residents, the Command emphasized that Lagos remains secure and that proactive measures are in place to prevent any breach of public safety.

“There is presently no verified intelligence indicating any imminent threat of such an attack within Lagos State. While every security concern is treated seriously, members of the public are advised to remain calm and avoid panic,” the command said.

It added that security agencies will not tolerate any attempt by criminal elements to cause fear or destabilise public peace in the state.

“The Command will not tolerate any attempt by miscreants, bandits, kidnappers, or other criminal elements to threaten the peace and safety of residents. Anyone found engaging in acts capable of causing fear or insecurity will be decisively dealt with in accordance with the law,” it stated.

Residents were encouraged to remain vigilant and continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information, noting that effective policing depends on public cooperation.

The command also urged members of the public to report any suspicious persons, movements, or activities to the nearest police station or through its emergency lines: 07061019374, 08065154338, 08063299264, 08039344870, and 09168630929.

It reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining law and order and ensuring the safety and security of all residents across Lagos State.

However, detectives attached to Ifo Division of the Ogun State Police Command, led by CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen, the Divisional Police Officer have uncovered a transnational criminal syndicate involved in a carefully coordinated fake kidnapping scheme designed to extort ransom from unsuspecting families abroad. The operation led to the arrest of eight foreign nationals, namely Zakaria Zawadogo ‘M’ aged 34yrs, Burkina Faso; Cheik El-Mehdi ‘M’ aged 23yrs, Mauritania; Suren Neta ‘F’ aged 25yrs, Ivory Coast; Koffi Breno ‘M’ aged 36yrs, Ivory Coast; Gondo Treso ‘M’ aged 32yrs, Ivory Coast; Kunuji Ezekiel ‘M’ aged 27yrs, Republic of Benin; Kougasi John ‘M’, Ivory Coast; and Hemue Blinsi ‘M’ aged 30yrs, Côte d’Ivoire.

The suspects were arrested during an intelligence-led operation in Adiyan Town, Agbado Area of Ogun State following credible intelligence and sustained surveillance into a reported kidnapping incident that was later uncovered to be a staged abduction.

The breakthrough followed a report received on June 6, 2026, from a concerned informant, who alerted the Police that a 23-year-old Mauritanian national, Cheik El-Mehdi, had contacted his family abroad in May 2026, claiming he had been kidnapped in Nigeria and demanding ransom for his release. Shortly after, another suspect, Zakaria Zawadogo, reinforced the demand with threats that the victim would be killed if the ransom was not paid.

Upon receipt of the complaint, detectives of the Ifo Division immediately activated an intelligence-driven investigation. This swift response proved decisive in uncovering the location of the suspects and preventing what could have resulted in a successful cross-border financial crime.

The technical intelligence report revealed that the suspects were operating from a hideout in Adiyan Town, Agbado Area of Ogun State. Acting on this intelligence, operatives were swiftly mobilized to the location where Zakaria Zawadogo was arrested. He subsequently led detectives to the syndicate’s hideout, resulting in the arrest of Cheik El-Mehdi, Suren Neta, and five other foreign nationals.

All suspects were taken into custody, while the premises were secured and thoroughly searched in line with due process.

Preliminary findings revealed that the operation was a coordinated criminal enterprise involving the deliberate staging of a kidnapping scenario to defraud the victim’s family.

It was further established that Suren Neta lured Cheik El-Mehdi into Nigeria, while Zakaria Zawadogo coordinated the ransom demands and issued threats to compel payment. The purported victim was also found to have actively participated in the orchestration of the fake abduction.

The principal suspects, Zakaria Zawadogo, Cheik El-Mehdi, and Suren Neta, have all confessed to their involvement in the conspiracy, while further investigation is ongoing to determine the full extent of the syndicate’s operations and possible links to other transnational criminal networks.

The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet and further investigation.

The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, psc, FCSS, MNIPR, commends the professionalism, discipline, and swift response of the detectives under CSP Olabisi Kamorudeen, whose intelligence-led action exposed and dismantled the criminal scheme.

The CP notes that the case highlights the increasing sophistication of transnational criminal activities and reaffirms the Command’s commitment to proactive policing, intelligence gathering, and sustained operations against organized crime.

He reassures members of the public that Ogun State remains a hostile environment for criminal elements and that the Command will continue to strengthen internal and cross-border collaboration to ensure public safety.

‎Also, the Delta State Police Command has arrested four suspects believed to be members of a gun-running network connected to the unlawful possession of a Beretta pistol recovered at a park in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area, on 1st May 2026.

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In a press briefing on Monday in Asaba, the Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, named the suspects as Emmanuel Chukwuemeka, Clifford Boleyelefa, Amadi Princewill, and Amadi Felix Chibuike.

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According to the police, Chukwuemeka was first arrested in Bayelsa State on 4th May following a painstaking investigation and intelligence-led operation.

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He reportedly confessed to purchasing the pistol from Amadi Princewill for ₦290,000 and selling it to one Desmond (currently at large) for ₦380,000.

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Desmond then allegedly waybilled the weapon to Effurun, where it was to be collected by Oghenemine Ogidi (now deceased) and forwarded to Sapele. Recall that Ogidi was summarily neutralised in broad daylight by a cop albeit extrajudicially: a dastardly act that drew outrage across the globe.

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Acting on Chukwuemeka’s confession, Oyeniyi said operatives tracked and arrested Amadi Princewill in Imo State on 15th May.

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During interrogation, Princewill revealed that he had bought the same gun from Amadi Felix for ₦200,000.

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Amadi Felix was subsequently arrested in Owerri, Imo State, on 16th May.

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All four suspects, according to the CP, are members of the Black Axe confraternity, adding that they will be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigation, while a manhunt for Desmond and other accomplices is still ongoing.

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The command reassured residents of its commitment to tackling illegal firearms and organised crime across the State.

For a better society

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