The Lagos State Police Command has detained six Liberians over alleged human trafficking, abduction, and an international visa scam.

The suspects, comprising one woman and five men aged between 21 and 40, were apprehended at Gberigbe in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

They allegedly specialise in defrauding unsuspecting victims of millions of naira while promising to help them secure a visa for Canada and other countries.

The syndicate allegedly lured victims from Liberia to Nigeria with promises of securing visas, work permits and residency documents for Canada and the UK, collecting huge sums of money for travel arrangements that never materialised, the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports.

However, when the victims arrived Nigeria, their passports and other travel documents are seized.

The first few days after their arrival, the victims are usually accommodated in a hotel. However, after about three days, they get moved to a rented apartment in Ikorodu, where they are detained and pressured to recruit more people into the scheme before they can regain their freedom.

One of the victims, a woman, who realised she had been deceived, reported the case to a friend she met on her way to Nigeria.

The friend, a man, alerted the police, leading to the rescue of the victim and the arrest of the suspects.

Following the report, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Fatai Tijani, directed that the case be transferred from the Imota Police Division to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, for comprehensive investigation.

“The investigation is being handled by the Delta Force Anti-Robbery Unit of the SCID under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the department, Mr Dayo Akinbisehin, ” a police source told NAN.

The source added that efforts were ongoing to arrest other members of the syndicate, while the six suspects would be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.

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The Yobe State Police Command has arrested three suspects over an alleged theft of an electric transformer components and power cables in Sabon Gari community, Bade Local Government Area in the state.

The spokesperson for the command, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, July 23, 2026 said the bundle of electric cables were recovered from Abubakar Idris, an aluminium local pot maker.

According to the PPRO, further investigation led to the arrest of Sumaila Suleiman and Ibrahim Ado.

“The Yobe State Police Command has recorded another breakthrough in its sustained efforts to protect critical national infrastructure with the arrest of three suspected vandals involved in the theft and unlawful possession of power cables and other public utility materials,” the statement read.

“On 23rd July, 2026, at about 1300hrs, operatives of the Area Command, Gashua, acting on credible intelligence, arrested one Abubakar Idris, 27 years old, an aluminium pot maker of Sabon Gari Area, Gashua Local Government Area, in possession of suspected stolen power cables.

“During the operation, two large bundles of power cables were recovered from the suspect.

“The investigation further led to the arrest of Sumaila Suleiman, 25 years old, and Ibrahim Ado, 26 years old.

“The operatives also recovered a tricycle (Keke NAPEP) with Registration No. 497 DPH, allegedly used in transporting the stolen items, as well as one unregistered Boxer motorcycle believed to have been used in the criminal operation.

“Further investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate who are currently at large and to determine the source and ownership of the recovered items.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Usman Kanfani Jibrin, psc, mspsp, has reiterated the Command’s zero tolerance for vandalism, destruction of public infrastructure, and other acts of economic sabotage.

“He has directed all tactical and investigative units to intensify efforts in tracking down all fleeing members of the criminal syndicate to ensure they are arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

“The Command urges members of the public to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information to the Police to safeguard critical public infrastructure and enhance security across the State.”

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The United States has condemned the killing of members of the family of Plateau-based cleric, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, describing the attack as horrific and urging Nigerian authorities to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.

In a statement shared on X on Thursday, the US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs expressed condolences to the victims’ families and called for stronger measures to prevent further attacks on vulnerable communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.

“The United States strongly condemns the horrific killing of members of Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo’s family in Plateau State, Nigeria. The continued violence targeting Christian communities and other vulnerable populations in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is deeply alarming,” the bureau said.

The US said it had already engaged Nigerian officials on the worsening security situation, stressing that urgent action was needed to curb recurring attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.

“As I discussed last week with Nigerian officials, we must do more to prevent violent acts like those yesterday. The perpetrators must be held accountable, and urgent action is needed to strengthen security and protect Christians and other vulnerable communities,” the statement added.

The bureau reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to working with the Nigerian government to combat terrorism and violent extremism, stressing that Christians and other Nigerians should be able to practise their faith without fear of violence.

The statement followed the July 12 attack on Kum community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, where nine members of Rev. Dachomo’s extended family, including a two-month-old baby, were killed.

According to the cleric, the attackers, believed to be armed Fulani militias, asked for him by name before opening fire on his relatives.

Dachomo, who serves as Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, said his family had repeatedly been targeted because of his outspoken criticism of the violence in Plateau State.

He recalled that his grandmother and an uncle were also killed in previous attacks, adding that days after burying his relatives, he received a written death threat from the same group, warning that he would be their next target.

Plateau State has experienced years of recurring violence fuelled by farmer-herder conflicts, communal tensions and attacks by armed groups, leaving thousands dead and many more displaced despite repeated security operations.

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