The Ogun State Police Command has rescued three victims of human trafficking and arrested two Cameroonian suspects linked to a syndicate operating between Cameroon and Nigeria.
Police spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, said in a statement on Friday that the syndicate deceived victims with fake promises of visa processing before holding them hostage in Ogun State.
She said the victims were lured from Cameroon on September 29, 2025, by a man identified as Donald, who claimed he could help them secure Canadian visas. Upon their arrival at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, the victims were taken to Mowe, Ogun State, where they were held in a two-bedroom flat.
“Shortly after her arrival at Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, she was received by the supposed ‘agency,’ which provided transportation from Lagos to Mowe, Ogun State, where she and her younger sister, aged 23 years, were held hostage,” Odutola said.
She added that one of the victims managed to escape on November 3 and contacted the police, leading to a rescue operation.
A tactical team from the Anti-Kidnapping Unit stormed the building in the Pakuro area of Mowe, rescuing a female victim, Kengne Maeva, unhurt. Two suspects, identified as Ndzana Kamga Isidore and Tingue Stephen, were arrested, while the main suspect, Donald, escaped and remains at large.
Odutola revealed that the victims’ relatives in Cameroon had already paid a ransom of 3,600,000 CFA into the suspect’s Cameroonian bank account.
She added that the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, had ordered all tactical commanders to strengthen surveillance across the state and urged community leaders to report suspicious foreign nationals renting apartments.
“The Ogun State Police Command remains committed to protecting lives and property while ensuring that criminal elements find no hiding place in the state,” Odutola stated.
