Rescue 11 Ghanaians allegedly held hostage over promised overseas visas in Ogun

Police commands in Ogun and Rivers states have arrested five suspected criminals in separate operations involving alleged cultism, armed robbery and kidnapping, recovering firearms and ammunition, while rescuing 11 Ghanaian nationals allegedly held hostage after being lured to Nigeria with promises of Canadian and Spanish visas.
 
In Ogun State, operatives arrested a suspected cultist and armed robber, Idris Obarayi, 30, and recovered a locally made pistol and a live cartridge. 
 
In Rivers, four suspected members of an armed robbery and kidnapping syndicate were arrested, with six firearms and 58 rounds of ammunition recovered.
 
The Ogun State Police Command also rescued seven men and four women from an alleged hostage-taking operation in Sagamu, where they were reportedly held against their will after paying a fellow Ghanaian national to facilitate their travel abroad.
 
The Spokesperson for the Ogun Command, Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the developments in separate statements in Abeokuta yesterday.
 
Babaseyi said the arrest of Obarayi followed a distress report about suspected gunfire and screams in the Oke Ago-Owu area of Abeokuta North Local Council at about 2:30 a.m. on October 20, 2026.
 
He said operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Unit mobilised to the area but the suspect fled on sighting the police, abandoning the firearm and ammunition during the pursuit.
 
According to him, sustained tracking and investigative efforts led to Obarayi’s arrest at about 5:45 p.m. the same day at his hideout in Ita Ogboni, Igbore, Abeokuta.
 
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect allegedly admitted to membership of the Aiye confraternity and claimed ownership of the recovered items,” Babaseyi said.
   
He added that investigations were ongoing to apprehend other suspects and establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
 
In a separate operation, operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit rescued the 11 Ghanaian nationals allegedly held hostage in Sagamu.

Babaseyi said the operation followed intelligence received on October 19, 2026 which prompted the operatives to move to the identified hideout where the victims were rescued.
 
Preliminary investigations indicated that the victims had allegedly been deceived by a fellow Ghanaian national who promised to facilitate their travel to Canada and Spain. Each victim reportedly paid GH₵40,000 before being brought to Nigeria and allegedly held against their will.
 
The rescued victims were receiving appropriate care and support, while detectives intensified efforts to arrest those suspected of involvement in the alleged criminal network.
 
In Rivers State, the police arrested four suspected members of an armed robbery and kidnapping syndicate in an intelligence-led operation that began in Rumuekpe Community, Emohua Local Council, on October 4, 2026.
 
The Command’s Spokesperson, ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, said the suspects were identified as Chinemerem Uchewo, Michael Ishaka, Abdulahi George and Gideon Okah, who was subsequently arrested in Owerri, Imo State.
 
According to the police, preliminary investigations linked the suspects to several armed robbery and kidnapping incidents in Choba, Elele Alimini, Emohua and Rumuekpe communities.
 
The suspects were also alleged to have confessed to robbing and killing Joseph Onyeka in Rumuji Community on July 23, 2026.
 
The Command further linked them to the shooting of an Inspector of Police, identified as Womoma, who was attached to the Rivers State Police Command, while on duty at a checkpoint along the East-West Road near Elele Alimini Junction on August 4, 2026.
 
The police said the operation led to the recovery of two AK-47 rifles, two pump-action rifles, one English-made double-barrel rifle and one locally made revolver pistol, alongside 58 rounds of live ammunition.
 
Both Commands said investigations were ongoing to apprehend fleeing suspects and establish the full extent of the alleged criminal activities.
 
The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, commended the SWAT and Anti-Kidnapping Unit operatives for their prompt response and professionalism.

He urged residents to report suspicious activities and verify overseas travel and visa-processing arrangements before making payments.
 
Similarly, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, praised his operatives for their courage and commitment to combating violent crime. 
 
He urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible information about suspicious activities, assuring them that such information would be treated confidentially.
 
Both commissioners reaffirmed their Commands’ commitment to tackling crime and bringing those responsible to justice.