The Nigeria Police Force, in collaboration with INTERPOL, has rescued two Colombian women who were allegedly trafficked into Nigeria and held captive by a human trafficking syndicate in Lagos.
The victims, identified as Maria Camila Rodas Ortiz and Yuliet Fernanda Rios Mesa, were rescued following intelligence received from INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau in Bogotá on August 26, 2026.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Aniete Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, saying the women were allegedly lured to Nigeria under false pretences and subsequently held against their will.
According to him, the victims’ travel documents were confiscated by suspected members of the trafficking syndicate, believed to include Chinese nationals who fled the scene before the arrival of the police.
“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,” Iniedu said.
He added that the suspects abandoned the location after sighting the approaching police team, while efforts had been intensified to identify and apprehend all members of the syndicate.
The rescued women are currently in protective custody and receiving necessary assistance.
The Colombian Embassy in Accra is also working with the Nigeria Police Force’s INTERPOL bureau to arrange hotel accommodation for the victims and secure emergency travel documents to facilitate their safe return to Bogotá.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to protecting residents and strengthening international cooperation in the fight against human trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime.
