Police Rescue Two Colombian Women From Trafficking Syndicate In Lagos

Police in Lagos have rescued two Colombian women who were allegedly lured to Nigeria and held captive by a human-trafficking syndicate.

The rescue followed intelligence sent to the Nigeria Police Force’s National Central Bureau of INTERPOL, Lagos Annex, by INTERPOL in Bogotá on August 26, 2026. The women were identified in the police account as Maria Camila Rodas Ortiz and Yuliet Fernanda Rios Mesa.

Police said the victims were tricked into travelling to Nigeria, kept against their will and stripped of their travel documents by suspected Chinese nationals. The suspects fled when officers traced the hideout in Lagos, while the two women were rescued safely the same day.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said efforts were under way to find and arrest members of the syndicate who escaped. The rescued women were placed in safe custody and were receiving support after the operation.

The Colombian Embassy in Accra is also working with INTERPOL to provide hotel accommodation and emergency travel documents so the women can return to Bogotá. Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu said the force would continue working with international law-enforcement agencies against cross-border crime.

Sources: Punch, Vanguard, Channels TV, Daily Post