Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the National Central Bureau of INTERPOL (NCB-INTERPOL), Lagos Annex, have rescued two Colombian nationals who were deceptively lured to Nigeria and held captive by an international human trafficking syndicate.
​The statement detailing the operation was issued on Saturday, August 29, 2026, by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu. According to the police spokesperson, the successful rescue operation was triggered by actionable intelligence sent directly from INTERPOL-NCB in Bogotá, Colombia, on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
​The victims have been identified as Maria Camila Rodas Ortiz and Yuliet Fernanda Rios Mesa. Upon receiving the alert on August 26, operatives from the Lagos Annex launched a covert tracking operation that pinpointed the hideout where the women were being held against their will.
The victims had been fraudulently lured to Nigeria under false pretenses, after which their travel documents were confiscated by members of the syndicate, identified as Chinese nationals who are currently at large.
​During the raid on the Lagos hideout on August 26, the suspects fled the premises upon sighting the approaching police team, leaving the victims behind. Both women were safely extracted and placed in protective custody.
​The police confirmed that the rescued women are receiving necessary medical and psychological support while staying in safe custody. The NCB-INTERPOL Lagos Annex is coordinating with the Colombian Embassy in Accra, Ghana, to secure emergency travel documents and hotel accommodations ahead of their safe repatriation to Bogotá.
​Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reiterated the Force’s commitment to dismantling cross-border criminal networks and expanding collaboration with global law enforcement agencies to combat human trafficking. A manhunt remains active to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects.
