The case involved a Cameroonian woman who falsely reported being kidnapped after discovering her online lover was married

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 26 foreign nationals following investigations into a reported kidnapping case that turned out to be false.

Also read: FCT police bust kidnap network, arrest pregnant suspect

The arrests were made after a 22-year-old Cameroonian woman claimed she had been kidnapped shortly after arriving in Nigeria to meet a man she had been dating online.

The incident was reported on June 16, prompting an immediate rescue operation by police.

However, further investigation by detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, revealed that the kidnapping allegation was fabricated.

The woman reportedly made the false claim after discovering that the 39-year-old Chadian man she came to meet was already married.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Tijani, directed that the case be transferred to the SCID for detailed investigation.

Those arrested comprised 19 Chadians and seven Cameroonians, including four women, aged between 19 and 50 years.

Police sources said the group was found living together in an apartment in the Ijede area of Ikorodu during the operation.

“The foreigners could not provide valid travel documents, while some are suspected to have entered the country through irregular routes,” a police source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The source added that the suspects claimed to be involved in a networking business linked to a company identified as Ignite.

They are currently undergoing profiling and immigration checks to determine their legal status in Nigeria.

“The woman travelled from Cameroon to meet her lover whom she had been communicating with online but became disappointed after discovering that he was married. She subsequently sought a way to return home without informing him and reported that she had been kidnapped,” the source explained.

The investigation is being handled by the Diplomatic and Foreigners Desk of the SCID under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr Dayo Akinbisehin.