Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the National Central Bureau of INTERPOL, Lagos Annex, have rescued two Colombian women allegedly lured to Nigeria by a human trafficking syndicate and held against their will in a Lagos hideout.
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The victims, identified as Maria Camila Rodas Ortiz and Yuliet Fernanda Rios Mesa, were rescued on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, following intelligence received from INTERPOL-NCB in Bogotá, Colombia.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Saturday, describing the operation as a major breakthrough in efforts to combat transnational organised crime.
According to the police, the two women were allegedly brought to Nigeria through fraudulent arrangements, deprived of their freedom and had their travel documents confiscated by suspected members of the trafficking network.
The Force alleged that some Chinese nationals believed to be involved in the operation were behind the victims’ confinement and seizure of their travel documents. The suspects, however, reportedly fled the hideout before they could be arrested and are currently at large.
Police said the operation commenced after INTERPOL-NCB Bogotá alerted its Nigerian counterpart to the plight of the women on August 26.
“Upon receipt of the intelligence, police operatives promptly launched a covert tracking operation, locating the hideout in Lagos where both victims were safely rescued on the same day,” the statement said.
The operatives reportedly tracked the location where the women were being held and moved in to rescue them, but the suspected traffickers fled after noticing the approaching police team.
“The fleeing suspects abandoned the location upon sighting the approaching team, and efforts have been intensified to track down and arrest all members of the syndicate,” the police said.
The circumstances under which the women were initially recruited and the specific promises allegedly made to persuade them to travel to Nigeria were not disclosed, as investigations remain ongoing.
The police said Ortiz and Mesa are now in safe custody and receiving appropriate support from relevant authorities following their rescue.
Arrangements are also underway for their return to Colombia.
According to the Force, the Colombian Embassy in Accra, Ghana, is working closely with NCB-INTERPOL Nigeria to secure temporary accommodation for the women and obtain emergency travel documents to facilitate their safe return to Bogotá.
“The rescued victims are currently in safe custody and receiving necessary support,” the police said.
“The Colombian Embassy in Accra is working in close collaboration with the Bureau to secure hotel accommodations for the victims and arrange emergency travel documents to ensure their safe return to Bogotá.”
The Force said investigations were continuing to establish the full structure of the alleged trafficking operation, identify other persons connected with the network and determine how the victims were brought into Nigeria and kept in captivity.
Police authorities said efforts had also been intensified to locate and apprehend the fleeing suspects and dismantle the wider syndicate allegedly responsible for the operation.
Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to tackling human trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime through stronger cooperation with international law-enforcement agencies.
According to the statement, Disu “reaffirms the unwavering commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to safeguarding the lives and property of all residents within the country, while deepening collaboration with international law enforcement partners to combat cross-border crimes.”
The police said the rescue demonstrated the importance of intelligence sharing through INTERPOL, particularly in cases where alleged criminal networks operate across national borders and move victims from one country to another through deception or fraudulent travel arrangements.
The Force urged members of the public and international partners to continue providing credible information capable of assisting law-enforcement agencies in identifying trafficking networks, rescuing victims and bringing suspected perpetrators to justice.
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