Lagos Police Arrest 26 Foreigners After Online Romance Sparks Kidnap Claim
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 26 foreign nationals after investigating a purported kidnapping report filed by a Cameroonian woman who travelled to Nigeria to meet a man she had met online.
It was gathered that the incident began on June 16 when a 22-year-old woman, identified as “Delphine” reported at a police station, alleging that she had been kidnapped after noticing that her online Lover seems to be a scammer, diguising himself online as Single searching for companion.
The woman had travelled from Cameroon to meet a 39-year-old Chadian man she had been dating with online. Upon arriving in Nigeria, she discovered that the man was already married to someone else.
Following the report, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Tijani, directed that the case should be transferred from the Command Tactical Unit, Area “N” Ijede, Ikorodu to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, for further investigation.
The investigation into the allegations suspected to be a romans scam and fake kidnapping alert being handled by the Diplomatic and Foreign Nationals Desk of the SCID under the direct supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the department, Mr Dayo Akinbisehin.
A police source said the woman reported a case of kidnapping and the police swiftly launched an investigation.
“Further inquiries, however, revealed that the woman came to Nigeria to meet her lover but she allegedly discovered that the man was already married.
“The woman was seeking a way to return to her country without informing the man and subsequently made claims suggesting she was being held against her will.
“Acting on the tip off, police operatives traced the location linked to the complaint and discovered several foreign nationals residing in an apartment with no valid document, ” he said.
He said that investigations led to the arrest of 26 foreigners, comprising 19 Chadians and seven Cameroonians who are between the ages of 19 and 50yrs including four women.
Police sources said preliminary investigations showed that the individuals were not victims of kidnapping but were allegedly involved in a networking scheme business linked to a company identified as Ignite.
The source further disclosed that many of the foreigners were unable to provide valid travel documents, while others were suspected to have entered the country through irregular routes.
“There was nothing to suggest they were being held against their will.
Most of them came into Nigeria without passports or proper travel documents,” the source disclosed
According to him, the foreigners are currently undergoing profiling and immigration-related checks as authorities work to establish their legal status and determine whether any laws were violated.
Apparently investigations are ongoing and that appropriate action would be taken based on the outcome of the inquiry