The Ogun State Police Command has dismantled a Cameroonian-led human trafficking syndicate operating in the state, arresting two suspects during a coordinated raid in Mowe, along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.

The command’s spokesperson, CSP Omolola Odutola, confirmed the development in a statement released on Friday, noting that the suspects, identified as Ndzana Kamga Isidore and Tingue Stephen, were apprehended by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, while the alleged ringleader, known simply as Donald, remains at large.

According to Odutola, the syndicate specialized in luring unsuspecting victims from Cameroon to Nigeria under the false pretense of securing Canadian visas. Preliminary investigations revealed that relatives of some victims had already paid a ransom of 3,600,000 CFA francs into a bank account belonging to the fleeing suspect.

“On November 4, 2025, at about 10:30 a.m., operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Eleweran, intercepted a distress call from a Cameroonian national, Kengne Maeva, who narrated how she had been deceived from Cameroon into Nigeria on September 29, 2025, by one Donald, who promised to process a Canadian visa for her,” Odutola said.

She explained that upon her arrival at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Maeva was received by the supposed ‘travel agency’ and taken to Mowe, Ogun State, where she and her 23-year-old sister were held hostage.

Maeva reportedly escaped from captivity on November 3, 2025, and alerted the police, revealing that other victims were being confined in a two-bedroom apartment in the Pakuro area of the state. Acting swiftly on her report, a tactical team from the Anti-Kidnapping Unit raided the hideout, rescued the victims unharmed, and arrested two suspects.

The Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, commended the operatives for their swift action and ordered sustained surveillance on similar criminal networks across the state. He also directed tactical commanders to collaborate with community leaders and Community Development Association chairmen, especially in remote areas, to promptly report any suspicious foreign nationals renting apartments.

“The command remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting lives and property and ensuring that no criminal element finds refuge within Ogun State,” the police stated.

In a related development, Ghanaian authorities recently rescued a 15-year-old Nigerian girl trafficked from Enugu under the pretext of a cleaning job but later forced into prostitution. One suspect, Joy Ogbonna, was arrested, while the prime suspect remains on the run.

The incidents highlight the growing menace of cross-border human trafficking in West Africa and the urgent need for vigilance by both law enforcement agencies and members of the public.