Police Bust Trafficking Syndicate, Rescue Two Colombian Women in Lagos
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the National Central Bureau of INTERPOL, Lagos Annex, have rescued two Colombian women allegedly trafficked to Nigeria and held captive by a suspected human trafficking syndicate.
The victims, identified as Maria Camila Rodas Ortiz and Yuliet Fernanda Rios Mesa, were reportedly lured to Nigeria under false pretences and subsequently detained, with their travel documents allegedly confiscated by suspected Chinese nationals.
The police said the operation followed actionable intelligence received from INTERPOL-NCB, Bogotá, on August 26, 2026, concerning the whereabouts of the two Colombian nationals.
Acting on the intelligence, operatives of the NCB-INTERPOL, Lagos Annex, launched a covert tracking operation which led to the identification of the suspected criminal hideout in Lagos.
The two women were rescued at the location on the same day.
Read Also:
According to the police, the suspected traffickers fled the premises after sighting the approaching operatives, abandoning the victims at the hideout.
The Force said efforts had been intensified to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects and other members of the alleged trafficking syndicate.
The rescued women are currently in police protective custody and receiving necessary support, the statement added.
The Colombian Embassy in Accra is also collaborating with the NCB-INTERPOL to secure temporary hotel accommodation for the victims and facilitate the issuance of emergency travel documents for their return to Bogotá.
The development underscores the growing cooperation between Nigerian and international law enforcement agencies in tackling human trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to protecting the lives and property of residents while strengthening collaboration with international law enforcement partners to combat cross-border criminal activities.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, August 29, 2026.
By PRNigeria
