Around fifty individuals, including children from nearby African countries, were rescued yesterday from a duplex on Omola Road in the Edemola area of Epe, Lagos. News circulated throughout Epe and the entire Lagos State that these rescued individuals, who were foreigners, were victims of kidnapping and held in a kidnappers’ hideout until a ransom was paid for their release. However, the police have stated that they were not victims of kidnapping. Instead, investigations conducted at the Okeoyibo Police Division, where the rescued individuals were taken, revealed that they were from Cameroon and Gabon.
According to the police, their inquiry uncovered that they were deceived by some Cameroonian ringleaders of a job scam gang who claimed job opportunities in Nigeria. The victims were found to have paid an undisclosed sum to the fraudsters. Some even mentioned selling their possessions, including houses back home, to gather money for the journey to Nigeria in hopes of securing the promised jobs.
Upon arrival, they were allegedly confined to the duplex with strict instructions to venture outside once they obtained the promised jobs. Shockingly, some had been residing in the building for up to six months. A trader, known only as Iya Modunat, recounted, “A resident of the area alerted the traditional ruler of the community about unusual movements in the building at odd hours. None of us knew any of the occupants or what they did; they didn’t interact with people. Subsequently, the authorities, including members of the vigilante group, were summoned here today. About seventy of them were brought out of the building along with their belongings. They were all foreigners, including twenty children.”
When reached for comment, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hudenyin, disclosed that the main suspect had fled to Cameroon. However, he confirmed that thirty-four individuals were rescued. He clarified, “They are not kidnapping victims; they were deceived by some Cameroonians who claimed there were jobs in Nigeria, only to find themselves stranded after exhausting all their funds. All of them have been taken to the police station. The ringleader is currently on the run. He provided them all with the same arrival date, collected their money upon arrival, instructed them to stay in that room, and then left with a promise to return, only to abandon them and return to Cameroon.”
