THE Police Command in Lagos State has apprehended 26 foreign nationals following investigations into a reported kidnapping case that was later found to be false.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that those apprehended comprised 19 Chadians and seven Cameroonians.
A 22-year-old Cameroonian woman had reported to the police that she was kidnapped after travelling to Nigeria to meet a 39-year-old Chadian man she had been dating online.
However, investigations revealed that the report was false and was allegedly made after the woman discovered that the man was married.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, subsequently directed that the case be transferred from Area N Command, Ijede, Ikorodu, to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, for further investigation.
A police source told NAN on Friday that the report, made on June 16, prompted an immediate rescue operation.
According to the source, communication challenges initially complicated the case because the woman could not speak English fluently, leading officers to treat the complaint as a genuine kidnapping incident.
“The woman travelled from Cameroon to meet her lover whom she had been communicating with online but became disappointed after discovering that he was married.
“She subsequently sought a way to return home without informing him and reported that she had been kidnapped,” the source said.
The source said police operatives traced the location where the woman claimed she was being held and discovered several other foreign nationals residing in an apartment.
He said the operation led to the apprehension of the 26 foreigners, aged between 19 and 50 years, including four women.
According to him, the individuals claimed to be involved in a networking business linked to a company identified as Ignite.
“The foreigners could not provide valid travel documents, while some are suspected to have entered the country through irregular routes.
“They are currently undergoing profiling and immigration-related checks to determine their legal status and whether any laws have been violated,” the source said.
He added that the investigation was being handled by the Diplomatic and Foreigners Desk of the SCID under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the department, Dayo Akinbisehin.
The source said investigations were ongoing and that appropriate action would be taken based on the outcome.
The ICIR reported recently that the Lagos State Police Command has apprehended 10 members of a syndicate for allegedly defrauding unsuspecting victims of millions of naira.
The suspects allegedly lured fellow Cameroonians to Nigeria with promises of securing visas, work permits and residency documents for destinations such as Mauritius, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Victims were made to pay huge sums of money for the purported travel arrangements, which never materialised.