The Igbosere Chief Magistrate Court, Lagos, has ordered the remand of two Beninese nationals, Ballo Mohammed and Sana Aseez, over allegations bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping, hostage taking, visa racketeering and obtaining money by false pretence.
The remand order was made by Chief Magistrate O. O. Olatunji following an ex parte motion marked M/603/2025, filed and moved by Morufu Ajani Animashaun of the Legal and Prosecution Department of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (ForceCID) Annexe, Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos.
In urging the court to grant the application, Animashaun informed the court that the suspects were arrested by operatives of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), led by the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Interpol Section, Mr Bode Ojajuni.
He explained that the application was brought pursuant to Sections 264(1), (2), (3), (4) and (6), as well as Section 267 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) of Lagos State, 2021 (as amended); Sections 4 and 10 of the Police Act, 2020; and Sections 6(6), 35(1)(c), (5) and (7)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
According to the prosecution, the two suspects allegedly took into custody six citizens of the Ivory Coast, who were later rescued by Interpol operatives and released to their embassy for onward repatriation.
The alleged victims were identified as Zela Alhassane (28), Zela Zalika (27), Kara Sita (27), Zela Ramotou (29), Banhoro Kadijah and Disa Barakisa (23).
Animashaun further informed the court that the suspects allegedly obtained a total sum of 11.8 million CFA francs from the families of the victims under false pretences.
He stated that the amount is equivalent to N30,411,945.42. The ex parte motion was supported by an affidavit deposed to by Inspector Oyebisi Oni, an officer attached to the Interpol Section.
In the affidavit, the deponent stated that the suspects were arrested in connection with offences of conspiracy, kidnapping, visa racketeering and obtaining money by false pretence.
Parts of the affidavit read that the suspects allegedly obtained the sum of 11,800,000 CFA francs from the families of the victims and that the case was subsequently assigned to the Commissioner of Police, Interpol Section, ForceCID Annexe, Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos, for thorough investigation.
Inspector Oni further deposed that during the investigation, the complainants, and the victims voluntarily made and signed written statements detailing how the suspects and others still at large allegedly lured, abducted and detained them, while extorting ransom from their families.
According to the affidavit, the investigation commenced following a formal request for assistance from the National Central Bureau (NCB) Abidjan, concerning Ivorian citizens allegedly kidnapped in Nigeria.
Acting on the request, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Interpol Section dispatched a team of detectives to Olowoira Road, Isheri-Ikosi, Lagos State, where the suspects were initially traced but had already fled based on tracking intelligence.
The affidavit further stated that the detectives continued the tracking operation and, on December 9, 2025, tracking devices indicated a location in Delta State.
The suspects, identified as Ballo Mohammed, aged 30, an Ivorian national, and Sana Aseez, aged 22, a Burkinabe, were eventually traced to an abandoned hotel in Egbo-Hurie Community, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
It was further revealed that intelligence-led inquiries enabled the detectives to identify the specific location where the victims were being held hostage.
The victims were subsequently rescued unhurt and were reported to be in good physical condition.
During interrogation, the suspects allegedly admitted to collecting the sum of 11,800,000 CFA francs as ransom from the victims’ families.
Further investigations, according to the affidavit, revealed that the victims were lured into Nigeria under the false representation that the suspects would procure German visas and work permits for them.
Instead, the suspects allegedly detained the victims against their will, extorted money from their families and relocated them from Lagos State to Delta State in an attempt to conceal their criminal activities.
The affidavit also stated that the suspects, who are foreign nationals, allegedly used Nigeria as a base to perpetrate the crimes.
The prosecution informed the court that a duplicate case file had been forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.
Consequently, the prosecution sought an order remanding the suspects at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre for a period of 30 days, pending the issuance of the DPP’s advice.
After listening to the submissions of the prosecution, Chief Magistrate Olatunji granted the application and ordered that the suspects be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
The matter was thereafter adjourned to January 9, 2026, for mention.
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