The Ogun State Police Command has rescued 11 Ghanaian nationals allegedly held hostage in Sagamu over a suspected N50.27 million international visa fraud involving promises of Canadian and Spanish visas. The victims, comprising seven males and four females, were rescued by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit following intelligence received on…...
The Ogun State Police Command has rescued 11 Ghanaian nationals allegedly held hostage in Sagamu over a suspected N50.27 million international visa fraud involving promises of Canadian and Spanish visas.
The victims, comprising seven males and four females, were rescued by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit following intelligence received on October 19, 2026.
The police said preliminary investigations indicated that a fellow Ghanaian allegedly deceived the victims with promises of facilitating their travel abroad, collecting GH₵40,000 from each of them before bringing them to Nigeria.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the operatives acted on actionable intelligence and immediately moved to the identified hideout, where all 11 victims were safely rescued.
The statement reads in part: “The Ogun State Police Command has rescued eleven (11) Ghanaian nationals allegedly held hostage in Sagamu after being lured to Nigeria with promises of Canadian and Spanish visas, in a swift, intelligence-led operation.
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“Acting on actionable intelligence received on 19 October 2026, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit immediately mobilised to the identified hideout and safely rescued all eleven victims, comprising seven males and four females.”
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The command said the rescued victims were receiving appropriate care and support, while detectives continued efforts to track down and arrest everyone connected with the alleged criminal network.
The Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, commended the Anti-Kidnapping Unit for its prompt response and professionalism, reaffirming the command’s commitment to tackling transnational crime and protecting residents and visitors.
Ojajuni warned criminals against exploiting unsuspecting people through fraudulent travel arrangements, insisting that the state would not provide a safe haven for such activities.
He said the command remained determined to ensure that those responsible were brought to justice.
The police also urged members of the public to verify overseas travel and visa-processing arrangements before making payments and to report suspicious activities to the relevant authorities.
The command reiterated its commitment to intelligence-led policing, effective inter-agency collaboration and decisive action against criminal networks.