The Ogun State Police Command has uncovered and dismantled a transnational criminal network run by Cameroonian nationals, accused of luring and detaining victims under the guise of assisting them with foreign visa processing.
In a statement on Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Omolola Odutola, said operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit at Eleweran acted swiftly after receiving a distress call from a Cameroonian woman who had escaped from captivity in Mowe, Ogun State.
According to police reports, the victim said she and her 23-year-old sister were deceived in Cameroon by a compatriot identified as Donald, who promised to secure Canadian visas for them. Upon arrival at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, they were met by associates of the suspect and taken to a location in Ogun, where they were held against their will.
The complainant managed to escape on November 3, 2025, and alerted the authorities. Acting on her information, the police raided a two-bedroom apartment in Pakuro, Mowe, where another victim, Kengne Maeva, was rescued unharmed.
Two suspects — Ndzana Kamga Isidore and Tingue Stephen — were arrested at the scene, while the principal suspect, Donald, is currently on the run. Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims’ families had already transferred a ransom of 3.6 million CFA francs into a Cameroonian bank account linked to the fugitive suspect.
The statement quoted the Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo (Ph.D.), as directing intensified surveillance of similar cross-border criminal schemes within the state. He also urged community leaders and landlords to promptly report any suspicious foreign nationals renting properties to the police.
“The Command remains unwavering in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property and ensuring that criminal elements find no safe haven in Ogun State,” Odutola stated.
Legal analysts note that the suspects, if convicted, may face charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and obtaining by false pretence, contrary to the Criminal Code Act and the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015. The involvement of cross-border victims may also invoke extradition and international cooperation protocols between Nigeria and Cameroon.
