RismadarVoice Reporters
September 12, 2026
Operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Lagos State Police Command have dismantled a criminal network that targeted no fewer than 125 prominent businessmen across major commercial markets in Lagos, police authorities confirmed on Saturday.
The breakthrough followed the arrest of seven suspects belonging to two interconnected syndicates who profiled successful merchants in high-volume trading hubs including Oshodi, Idumota, Arena, Katangua, and Alaba International Market to lure them into fraudulent business deals or hold them for ransom.
According to police investigators led by CSP Sunday Cirman, the gang’s operational network extended into Ogun State, where lured victims were routinely detained. In one instance, a tyre merchant was lured to Aiyetoro-Itele in Ogun State and held captive until a N24 million ransom was paid by his family.
Key disclosures from the police investigation reveal:
Detectives uncovered a physical document listing over 125 active business operators pencilled in as upcoming targets before the police intervened during an attempted abduction in Ayobo, Lagos.
Suspects operated through organised division of labour, utilising “Callers” to identify and lure victims, “Catchers” posing as foreign sailors or customs agents, and “Sitters” stationed at operational bases to validate fake supply contracts.
Schemes ranged from fake commodity supply contracts (frequently using bicycle spare parts as pretext) to chemical “dollar washing” scams and direct hostage-taking.
Speaking on the arrest, Lagos State Police Command spokesperson SP Abimbola Adebisi emphasised that police operations remain heightened under Commissioner of Police CP Fatai Tijani to neutralise organised criminal elements across commercial centres in the state.
