Police rescue 27 kidnapped foreigners in Lagos apartment

Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have rescued 27 foreigners who were allegedly kidnapped and confined in an apartment in the Isheri Oshun area of the state.

The command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this during a press briefing on Monday.

According to him, a distress call was received by the Complaint Response Unit from one of the victims, who reported that she and others had been held against their will and were not allowed to leave the apartment.

Hundeyin added that the Divisional Police Officer in the area was immediately contacted, and efforts were thereafter made to rescue them from the apartment.

”Somebody reached out to the Complaint Response Unit of the Lagos Police Command and complained that she had been kidnapped in an apartment and not allowed to leave the apartment. The CRU contacted the Divisional Police Officer covering the area and raced to the place and upon getting to the apartment and breaking into it, a total number of 27 foreigners were found in the apartment.”

The rescued individuals comprised 18 males and nine females, some of whom are Ghanaians and others from the Republic of Benin.

Hundeyin said preliminary investigations revealed that the victims had been lured into the country under the false pretence of securing jobs.

“We are currently investigating whether Lagos was their final destination or if they were being trafficked to another country. However, they are now safe and in our custody,” Hundeyin added.

In a related development, a couple was said to have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping an online vendor who had gone to deliver a product in the Iyana Ishashi area of the state.

Hundeyin said the incident was reported on Sunday by the victim, who alleged that she had been abducted while attempting to make a delivery.

He said, “The victim received a request for a product and proceeded to the customer’s house in Iyana Ishashi. Upon arrival, the door was opened, and she was forcibly dragged inside by a man and a woman. The suspects were later identified as Emmanuel and Mazioma Okafor.”

Hundeyin said that after seizing the victim, the couple allegedly stripped her naked and assaulted her.

He added that they thereafter took her nude pictures and demanded a ransom of N2m, threatening to leak the images if she failed to comply.

“She managed to pay N300,000 that day, which allowed her to regain her freedom. However, she was warned that if she did not pay the balance, her pictures would be released. The victim subsequently reported the incident to the police, leading to an immediate investigation. This led to the arrest of the suspects,” Hundeyin added.