The Nigeria Police Force has rescued 30 foreign nationals and broken up a human trafficking and fraudulent exploitation network operating in the Federal Capital Territory and surrounding communities.
The operation also led to the arrest of 13 suspects allegedly involved in the criminal syndicate, including the suspected ringleader, Abdul Ngaki, and other members identified as Fatimah Kulibali, Ahmad Kasango, Sidibe Musa, Muhammad Dembele, Saidu Traore, Ali Koulibaly, Abdul Ngeki, Ahmed Sirma, Laya Bando, Aisha Dembele, Abi Togo, and Awa Tesure.
According to the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Placid, the investigation began after intelligence reports revealed the suspicious disappearance of several foreign nationals within Nigeria.
Preliminary findings showed that the syndicate targeted vulnerable young people from West African countries, particularly Mali and Gabon, deceiving them with promises of migration opportunities to Europe and well-paying jobs in Nigeria. Victims were made to pay processing and transport fees before being taken to residential locations in Mararaba and Karu areas of Nasarawa State, where they were held under exploitative conditions.
Further investigations revealed that victims who could not meet additional financial demands were forced into staged kidnapping schemes. They were made to contact their families while pretending to be abducted, with relatives pressured into paying ransom into accounts controlled by the syndicate.
Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Intelligence Response Team carried out coordinated raids on May 7, 2026, at identified hideouts along Barrister Road in Rugan Dakachi, Nasarawa State. The operation resulted in the rescue of all 30 victims, identified as Malian nationals, and the arrest of 13 suspects linked to the network.
The police reaffirmed their commitment to combating human trafficking, transnational organised crime, and all forms of exploitation, adding that all suspects connected to the syndicate will be prosecuted.
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