The Lagos State Police Command has successfully rescued 27 foreign nationals who were reportedly held captive in an apartment in the Isheri Oshun area of the state.
The victims, comprising 18 men and nine women from Ghana and Benin Republic, were freed after one of them managed to alert the police through a distress call to the Complaint Response Unit.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Lagos Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the operation.
He explained that the caller reported being held against her will, along with others, and was unable to leave the premises.
Acting on this information, the police swiftly contacted the Divisional Police Officer in the area, leading to the successful rescue of all 27 individuals.
“One of the victims reached out to the Complaint Response Unit, stating that she had been kidnapped and was being confined in an apartment,” Hundeyin said.
“The CRU immediately alerted the local police division, which responded by raiding the location and discovering a total of 27 foreign nationals.”
Preliminary investigations suggest that the victims were deceived into coming to Nigeria with false promises of employment.
“We are still investigating whether Lagos was their final stop or if they were intended to be trafficked elsewhere. However, they are now safe and in police custody,” Hundeyin added.
Couple arrested for allegedly kidnapping online vendor
In a separate incident, the police apprehended a couple accused of abducting an online vendor who had gone to deliver a product in the Iyana Ishashi area of Lagos.
The victim reported the crime on Sunday, stating that she was lured to a customer’s residence, where she was forcibly dragged inside by a man and a woman, later identified as Emmanuel and Mazioma Okafor.
According to the police, the suspects allegedly stripped the victim naked, assaulted her, and took explicit photographs. They then demanded a ransom of ₦2 million, threatening to release the images if she failed to pay.
The victim managed to transfer ₦300,000 that same day, securing her release. However, the suspects warned her to pay the remaining amount or face public humiliation.
She subsequently reported the incident to the police, who launched an investigation and arrested the couple.
The police have assured the public that both cases are being thoroughly investigated, with further updates to follow.