The Nigeria Police Force says it has rescued 30 Malian nationals from what it described as a human trafficking and fraudulent exploitation syndicate operating in Nasarawa State and the Federal Capital Territory.
In a statement issued on Monday, May 18, police spokesperson Anthony Placid said the victims were held at residential locations in Mararaba and Karu while 13 suspects linked to the network were arrested. According to the police, the suspected syndicate leader was identified as Abdul Ngaki.
Other suspects arrested included Fatimah Kulibali, Ahmad Kasango, Sidibe Musa, Muhammad Dembele, Saidu Traore, Ali Koulibaly, Abdul Ngeki, Ahmed Sirma, Laya Bando, Aisha Dembele, Abi Togo and Awa Tesure. Placid said investigations began after intelligence reports emerged concerning the disappearance of several foreign nationals in Nigeria under suspicious circumstances.
“Preliminary findings revealed that the syndicate targeted vulnerable young persons from West African countries, particularly Mali and Gabon, with false promises of migration opportunities to Europe and lucrative employment in Nigeria,” he said.
According to the police, victims were allegedly persuaded to pay processing and transportation fees before being moved to locations in Mararaba and Karu, where they were kept under restrictive and exploitative conditions. The police also alleged that some victims who could not provide additional payments were forced into staged kidnapping schemes orchestrated by the syndicate.
Placid said the victims were allegedly instructed to contact relatives in their home countries and falsely claim they had been kidnapped in order to extort ransom payments. “He said the victims were made to call their relatives back home and pretend they had been kidnapped, so their family members would send ransom money to bank accounts controlled by the syndicate.”
According to the statement, operatives of the Intelligence Response Team carried out coordinated operations on May 7, 2026, at identified hideouts along Barrister Road in Rugan Dakachi, Nasarawa State.
The operation reportedly led to the rescue of all 30 victims, who were identified as Malian nationals, and the arrest of the suspects allegedly connected to the network. The police reiterated their commitment to combating human trafficking, transnational organised crime and all forms of exploitation.
“The Nigeria Police Force states its commitment to combating human trafficking, transnational organised crime, and all forms of exploitation, while assuring members of the public that all persons connected to the criminal network will be brought to justice,” the statement added.