The Ogun State Police Command has busted a notorious Cameroonian kidnapping syndicate allegedly responsible for luring unsuspecting nationals from Cameroon to Nigeria under the pretense of visa procurement, only to abduct them for ransom.

Two male members of the gang Ndzana Kamga Isidore and Tingue Stephen were arrested during a police raid on their hideout, a two-bedroom apartment located in the Pakuro area of Mowe, Ogun State.

Confirming the arrest in a statement, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Omolola Odutola, said the breakthrough followed a distress call received on November 4, 2025, from a Cameroonian national who managed to escape from the kidnappers’ den.

According to Odutola, the victim revealed that she had been deceived in Cameroon by one Donald (surname unknown), who promised to facilitate a Canadian visa for her. Upon arriving at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on September 29, 2025, she was picked up by members of the syndicate and transported to Mowe, where she and her 23-year-old sister were held captive.

The police spokesperson explained that the victim escaped on November 3, 2025, and promptly reported the incident to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Eleweran. Acting on the intelligence, operatives stormed the hideout in Mowe, rescued another female victim identified as Kengne Maeva and arrested two suspects at the scene. The principal suspect, Donald, is still on the run.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims’ relatives in Cameroon had already paid a ransom of 3.6 million CFA francs into a Cameroonian bank account belonging to the fugitive suspect.

In reaction to the development, the Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, directed continuous surveillance of similar criminal activities across the state. He also instructed tactical commanders to liaise with community leaders and Community Development Association (CDA) chairmen, particularly in remote areas, to promptly report suspicious foreign nationals renting apartments.

“The Ogun State Police Command remains resolute in its commitment to protecting lives and property and will ensure that criminal elements find no safe haven within the state,” CSP Odutola affirmed.