The Lagos State Police Command on Monday said its operatives rescued 27 foreign nationals who were lured into Nigeria under false promises of employment. The victims, comprising 18 men and nine women from Ghana and Benin Republic, were found held captive in the Isheri Oshun area of Lagos.
This is just as troops of Operation Hadin Kai have rescued 75 civilians from Sambisa Forest in Borno State. General Officer Commanding 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General W. Shaibu told journalists on Monday during the victims’ handover to the Borno State government in Maiduguri that the rescued individuals comprised seven adult males, 34 women, and 34 children.
The GOC, represented by the Deputy Theater Commander, Brigadier General A.L. Akpodu explained that the civilians were rescued during a clearance operation conducted by the 21 Special Armored Brigade and the 199 Special Forces Battalion under Operation Desert Sanity IV in Sambisa Forest.
“As part of our ongoing clearance efforts, troops of the 21 Special Armored Brigade and the 199 Special Forces Battalion recently carried out successful offensive operations in Sambisa Forest,” he said.
“Key terrorist enclaves in Ukuba, Ujimla, Sabil Huda, Garin, Fajula, and Gobara were cleared, leading to the rescue of 75 civilians, including seven adult males, 34 women, and 34 children,” he added.
He further noted that the military destroyed several insurgent facilities during the operation.
“The operation significantly degraded enemy capabilities by neutralising insurgents and destroying command and logistics bases, makeshift shelters, weapon caches, and IED-making materials,” he said.
The rescued civilians have received medical and psychological support and are now set to be handed over to the Borno State government.
Receiving the victims on behalf of the state government, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, commended the troops for their gallantry in the fight against insurgency.
“We are taking them to our rehabilitation centre, where they will receive livelihood support, counseling services, mental health and psychosocial support, and educational services for the children. We will ensure they are well reintegrated before releasing them back into society,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, told journalists on Monday that “a distress call from one of the victims led officers from the Conflict Response Unit to the location, where they freed the individuals. Preliminary investigations suggest the victims were to be transported elsewhere, raising concerns about potential international trafficking. The police have launched an extensive probe to identify the traffickers and their network.”
Additionally, the Command rescued six kidnap victims and arrested multiple suspects, including two Pakistani nationals and two other Nigerians, in a series of anti-kidnapping operations across the state.
“In one of the cases, two Pakistani nationals, Umarangol, 19, and Aftab Hamad, 28, were arrested for allegedly kidnapping a fellow Pakistani whom they had lured to Lagos under the guise of offering him employment as a chef. The victim was held hostage in a hotel on Awolowo Road, Ikeja, where the kidnappers demanded a N50 million ransom for his release.
“A swift intervention by the police led to the victim’s rescue, and two of the seven suspected kidnappers were apprehended. The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), and the Pakistani embassy has been notified of the development.”
“In another incident, three individuals who had gone to inspect land near the new airport area in Lekki were kidnapped by five armed men. The abduction took place on March 7, 2025, around 5:50 p.m. However, intense pressure from police operatives forced the kidnappers to abandon their victims and flee.
“The victims were successfully rescued within 24 hours and have since been reunited with their families. The police have launched a manhunt to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects.”
In a separate case, a female delivery agent fell victim to a kidnapping and extortion scheme on March 9, 2025. According to the police report, the victim was lured to an address under the pretense of delivering a product, only to be forcefully dragged inside by a man and a woman, later identified as Emmanuel and Mazioma Okafor.
“The suspects allegedly stripped the woman naked and took explicit photographs of her before demanding ¦ 2 million to stop the photographs from being leaked.
