The Nigeria Police Force has rescued 30 foreign nationals and dismantled a human trafficking and fraud syndicate operating within the Federal Capital Territory and surrounding communities.
The operation also led to the arrest of 13 suspects allegedly linked to the criminal network, which specialised in exploiting vulnerable migrants from West Africa.
According to the Force Public Relations Officer, DSP Anthony Placid, investigations began after intelligence reports indicated the disappearance of several foreign nationals under suspicious circumstances in Nigeria.
Preliminary findings showed that the syndicate targeted young people from countries such as Mali and Gabon, luring them with false promises of migration opportunities to Europe and job prospects in Nigeria. Victims were made to pay processing and transportation fees before being moved to residential locations in Mararaba and Karu areas of Nasarawa State, where they were held in exploitative conditions.
Further investigations revealed that those unable to meet additional financial demands were forced into staged kidnapping schemes. Victims were made to contact their families while pretending to be abducted, with relatives coerced 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, targeting 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 connected to the crime.
Placid reaffirmed the police commitment to tackling human trafficking and transnational organised crime, stating that all individuals linked to the syndicate would be brought to justice.
