Two Pakistanis, Roman Gull, 19, and Aftab Ahmad, 28, have been arrested for allegedly leading a kidnapping syndicate in Lagos state.
The suspects, with five others at large, lured a 48-year-old Pakistani from Kano State with a fake job offer as a chef before abducting him and demanding a ₦50 million ransom from his employer.
The state Police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, saying officers from the Ikeja Division acted on a distress call and successfully rescued the victim.
However, some gang members escaped.
“A distress call was received at the Ikeja Division of the Lagos State Police Command on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, about the kidnap of a 48-year-old Pakistani within Ikeja.
“Anti-crime patrol teams were swiftly deployed, leading to the rescue of the victim and the arrest of two of his captors, Roman Gull and Aftab Ahmad, both Pakistani nationals, while five others escaped,” Hundeyin stated.
It was learnt that the arrested suspects and their accomplices lured the victim to Lagos by promising him employment as a chef.
They reportedly brought him from Kano and lodged him in a hotel on February 28, 2025; and the following day, the gang went to his lodge, overpowered him, tied his hands and legs, and sent a message to his employer in Kano demanding a ₦50 million ransom, threatening to kill him if their demand was not met.
The employer responded and paid ₦1 million three days later but alerted the police.
The police recovered a grey Toyota Camry, $2,000 cash belonging to the victim, three ATM cards, a green card, a driver’s licence, and a National Identity Number slip from the gang.
Hundeyin said efforts were ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects, adding that they would be prosecuted upon the conclusion of the investigation.
Meanwhile, he said the rescued victim is said to be in good condition, and contact has been established with his family.
