- Four foreigners remanded in Ogun over kidnapping and hostage taking.
- DSS arrests doctor accused of supplying medical aid to kidnapping gangs.
- Interpol rescues 16 victims from Harmony Estate, Abeokuta.
- Court orders 60-day remand pending DPP’s legal advice.
The security dragnet around kidnapping rings across the South-West tightened this week as Chief Magistrate A.K. Araba directed that four foreign nationals arrested for kidnapping and unlawful detention be kept in custody.
Those ordered to be remanded include Augustine Nketia Boateng (41), Johnson Apan Julus (43), Dramane Lenganir (26) and Simms Raphael (37); nationals of Ghana, Benin and Burkina Faso.
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The ruling followed an application brought by the Police Legal Officer, Morufu Ajani Animashaun, who asked the court to hold the suspects pending full legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The motion was supported by an affidavit sworn to by Inspector Oyebisi Oni of Interpol, who told the court that the suspects were arrested during a coordinated operation led by Interpol FCID Annex, Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos. Officers stormed Harmony Estate, Pakudi Obada, Abeokuta, rescuing 16 victims including Burkinabe, Ghanaian, Togolese and Ivorian nationals who were allegedly held against their will.
According to the affidavit, the alarm was first raised by Mr. Lengane Toyazoula, who reported a case of conspiracy and human trafficking to the National Central Bureau in Ouagadougou. Detectives later traced a 23-year-old Burkinabe woman, Lengane Audrey, to the Ogun hideout.
Investigators said the suspects confessed to collecting 1,869,000 CFA (over ₦4.7M) as ransom. They allegedly lured victims into Nigeria under the promise of Canadian visa processing, seized their passports and detained them until their families paid.
Meanwhile, in a separate breakthrough, the Department of State Services (DSS) confirmed the arrest of a medical doctor believed to be providing clandestine medical support to kidnapping gangs in Kwara. The suspect was intercepted in Jebba, Moro LGA, following intelligence reports linking him to a drug-delivery network for criminal groups.
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The Kwara State government described the development as a significant disruption to kidnapping logistics, especially as gangs seek treatment for gunshot wounds after clashes with security forces.
One top official summed it up clearly: “Kidnappers are becoming increasingly desperate, and cutting off medical support systems is crucial to defeating them,” a security source noted.
Chief Magistrate Araba ordered the suspects to remain at the Oba Custodial Centre for 60 days in the first instance. The case comes up again on February 27, 2026, after the DPP reviews the case file.
