Cross-State Kidnapping Syndicate Smashed in Lagos Over High-Profile Abduction

​Lagos State Police Command has dismantled a cross-state abduction ring following the kidnapping of a businesswoman in the Ijedodo area, which netted a ransom package including N21 million, a bottle of schnapps, a power bank, and a kilogram of frozen turkey.

​Operatives from the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit tracked the suspects to their operational base in the Agadagba community of Ese-Odo Local Government Area in Ondo State. Three suspects—Semi Buawe, 35; Oluwatomi Obosi, 37; and Bamure Telemowei—were taken into custody, while the alleged ringleader, known only as ID, remains at large.

​According to police investigations, the syndicate planned the operation in Ondo State before traveling to Lagos in April 2026. The gang targeted a residential duplex in Ijedodo after staking out the neighborhood, abducting the female homeowner and holding her captive in a nearby bush for three days. During the ordeal, the captors transferred N150,000 from the victim’s phone via a local POS operator and survived on limited provisions before securing a high-value ransom payout.

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​The suspects offered varying motives for their involvement during police interrogation. Buawe, a sawmill worker and confessed participant in criminal networks since 2010, stated that he was recruited by the fugitive leader due to his prior familiarity with Lagos geography. Obosi claimed he was driven into the enterprise by an urgent need to finance a marriage, having been introduced to the gang through a familial connection in Ondo State.

​Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the arrests and emphasized that the command has intensified operations to capture the fleeing kingpin. The suspects remain in police custody and will be arraigned upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations, while authorities have called on members of the public to provide actionable intelligence leading to the arrest of the remaining fugitive.