Ogun State Police rescue 11 Ghanaians from Sagamu visa scam

The Ogun State Police Command in Nigeria has successfully rescued 11 Ghanaian nationals who were being held hostage in Sagamu following a sophisticated visa recruitment scam. The operation, conducted on October 19, 2026, was carried out by the command's Anti-Kidnapping Unit after receiving actionable intelligence regarding the whereabouts of the victims. The group had been lured to Nigeria under the false pretext of securing travel visas to Canada and Spain, only to be detained against their will by a criminal syndicate.

According to official reports from the police, the rescued group consists of seven males and four females. Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims were exploited by a criminal network that demanded substantial sums for the promised overseas opportunities. Each individual reportedly paid approximately GH‵40,000 to the syndicate for their supposed travel arrangements. Instead of receiving the promised documents and flights, the victims found themselves trapped in a hostage situation as the perpetrators managed the illicit operation.

Following the successful rescue, the Ogun State Police have intensified their efforts to track down and apprehend the members of the criminal network responsible for the scam. Authorities have used the incident to issue a stern warning to the public, particularly those seeking opportunities abroad, to exercise extreme caution. They emphasized the importance of verifying all visa and travel arrangements through official channels and urged citizens to report any suspicious recruitment activities to law enforcement agencies to prevent further exploitation.