Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
The Nigeria Police Force has rescued two Colombian women allegedly lured to Nigeria and held against their will by a suspected human trafficking syndicate in Lagos, in an operation that highlights the growing importance of international police cooperation in tackling cross-border organised crime.
The women, identified as Maria Camila Rodas Ortiz and Yuliet Fernanda Rios Mesa, were rescued by operatives of the National Central Bureau of INTERPOL, Lagos Annex, after Nigerian authorities received actionable intelligence from INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau in Bogotá on August 26, 2026. According to the police, the women had been fraudulently brought to Nigeria, detained at a location in Lagos and deprived of their travel documents. The information triggered a covert tracking operation that led investigators to the location where the women were being held.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Saturday, August 29. She said the police acted on the intelligence and succeeded in locating the suspected hideout on the same day. The operation was conducted by personnel attached to the NCB-INTERPOL Lagos Annex, which handles international law-enforcement cooperation and investigations involving crimes that cross national borders.
Police said the women were allegedly held captive by suspected members of a trafficking network. The authorities identified certain Chinese nationals as suspects in the operation, although no arrests had been announced as of Saturday. The suspects reportedly fled the location after seeing the approaching police team, leaving the two Colombian nationals behind. Police said efforts had been intensified to locate and arrest the fleeing suspects and identify other members of the alleged syndicate.
The circumstances surrounding how the women were recruited and brought to Nigeria have not been fully disclosed by the authorities. The police described the process as fraudulent, indicating that the victims were allegedly deceived into travelling to the country before being deprived of their freedom. Their travel documents were also allegedly confiscated, leaving them dependent on the people holding them and potentially making it difficult for them to leave the country independently.
The rescue is significant because trafficking networks frequently operate across several jurisdictions, making cooperation between national law-enforcement agencies an important part of investigations. In this case, information originating from Bogotá was transmitted through INTERPOL channels to Nigerian authorities, allowing investigators in Lagos to act on intelligence concerning people who were outside Colombia.
INTERPOL provides a framework through which police forces in different countries can exchange information and coordinate investigations involving international criminal networks. Such cooperation can be particularly important where victims, suspects, money, communications or other evidence are spread across different countries. The Lagos operation demonstrates how information supplied by a foreign law-enforcement agency can assist Nigerian investigators in locating victims and disrupting an alleged criminal operation.
The police said the rescued women were placed in safe custody and were receiving necessary support following the operation. Details of their physical condition were not disclosed, and authorities did not provide information about how long they had allegedly been held before their rescue.
Arrangements were also being made for their eventual return to Colombia. According to the police statement, the Colombian Embassy in Accra was working with the NCB-INTERPOL to secure hotel accommodation for the women and facilitate emergency travel documents. Those documents are intended to enable the victims to return safely to Bogotá after the necessary procedures have been completed.
The involvement of Colombian diplomatic authorities underscores the international dimension of the case. With the victims being Colombian nationals rescued in Nigeria, coordination between Nigerian law-enforcement authorities and Colombian representatives is required to address their immediate welfare, documentation and repatriation.
The operation also comes against the wider background of Nigeria’s continuing efforts to combat human trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime. Trafficking can involve the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people through coercion, deception or other prohibited means for the purpose of exploitation. Nigerian authorities have repeatedly worked with international agencies to investigate criminal networks whose activities extend beyond the country’s borders.
The Nigeria Police Force has increasingly emphasised intelligence-led policing and international partnerships as part of its approach to organised crime. Recent INTERPOL-related operations have involved investigations extending beyond Nigeria, including cases concerning wanted suspects and cross-border criminal activities. The police have said such cooperation is necessary because criminal networks do not operate according to national boundaries.
Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu reaffirmed the commitment of the police to protecting residents and strengthening cooperation with international law-enforcement partners. He said the Force remained committed to safeguarding lives and property while deepening collaboration to confront cross-border criminal activity.
However, the Lagos operation remains an ongoing investigation. The police have not announced the identities of the fleeing suspects, the exact location of the hideout or whether any other people are being sought in connection with the case. No charges have been reported against the individuals identified by police as suspects, and the allegations have yet to be tested in court.
The immediate priority is therefore the protection and welfare of the two rescued women, followed by efforts to establish the full circumstances of their recruitment, transportation and detention and to identify those responsible. Investigators are also expected to pursue the fleeing suspects and determine whether the operation forms part of a wider trafficking network.
For the two Colombian nationals, the rescue marks the end of their reported captivity in Lagos and the beginning of the process of recovery and repatriation. For Nigerian authorities, the case presents another test of their ability to dismantle trafficking networks and secure prosecutions through international cooperation. The outcome of the investigation will depend on whether police can identify and apprehend those who allegedly organised the operation and gather sufficient evidence to establish their roles before a court.
The case also reinforces the importance of rapid information-sharing when foreign nationals are believed to be victims of trafficking or other serious crimes. In this instance, intelligence transmitted from Colombia enabled Nigerian investigators to locate the women within hours of receiving the alert. Authorities have yet to say when the suspects might be arrested, but the police have stated that efforts to track them and other members of the alleged syndicate are continuing.
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