Two Colombian women allegedly trafficked into Nigeria have been rescued from captivity in Lagos as INTERPOL and police intensify efforts to arrest suspects.
Two Colombian nationals have been rescued in Lagos after allegedly being deceived into travelling to Nigeria and subsequently held against their will by members of a suspected international human trafficking network.
The rescue was carried out by operatives attached to the National Central Bureau of INTERPOL, Lagos Annex, following intelligence transmitted from their counterparts in Bogotá, Colombia.
The victims were identified as Maria Camila Rodas Ortiz and Yuliet Fernanda Rios Mesa.
According to the Nigeria Police Force, the women were located and freed on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, after investigators launched a discreet operation based on information received from INTERPOL-NCB, Bogotá.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Saturday.
The incident has raised fresh concerns over the activities of international trafficking networks that exploit unsuspecting victims by promising them opportunities abroad before subjecting them to unlawful confinement and other forms of exploitation.
How The Women Were Rescued
Following the arrival of the intelligence from Colombia, operatives of the National Central Bureau of INTERPOL in Lagos reportedly moved swiftly to establish the whereabouts of the two women.
Rather than immediately approaching the suspected location, investigators conducted a covert tracking operation to identify the premises where the victims were allegedly being kept.
The intelligence-led effort eventually led officers to a hideout in Lagos believed to have been used by the suspected trafficking syndicate.
Police operatives moved in after confirming the location and found the two Colombian nationals at the premises.
The women were subsequently taken to safety, bringing an end to their alleged captivity.
However, the operation did not result in the immediate arrest of the suspected traffickers.
According to the police, the suspects, who were identified as Chinese nationals, noticed the arrival of the security team and managed to escape from the location before they could be apprehended.
Their escape has prompted investigators to widen the search for the individuals believed to have organised and facilitated the alleged trafficking operation.
Travel documents allegedly seized
Details released by the police indicate that the women may have been deliberately deceived before their arrival in Nigeria.
The victims were allegedly lured into the country through fraudulent means and later prevented from leaving after their travel documents were confiscated.
The seizure of passports and other travel documents is often used by trafficking networks to restrict the movement of victims and make it difficult for them to seek help or return to their countries.
In this case, the women were reportedly unable to leave the premises where they were being held until the intervention of the Nigerian police.
Although the police did not disclose the precise nature of the promises allegedly made to the victims or how long they had remained in captivity, the circumstances surrounding their rescue have led investigators to treat the case as a suspected human trafficking operation.
Investigation underway
With the suspected perpetrators still at large, the Nigeria Police Force said its investigators have intensified efforts to track them down.
Authorities are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the women’s recruitment, their movement into Nigeria, the ownership or control of the Lagos premises and the possible involvement of other individuals in the alleged operation.
Investigators are also expected to work with international counterparts as they attempt to establish whether the suspects are connected to a broader trafficking network operating across different countries.
The involvement of INTERPOL is particularly significant because the case involves foreign nationals, alleged cross-border recruitment and suspected criminal activities extending beyond Nigeria.
The National Central Bureau serves as a key channel through which Nigerian law enforcement agencies cooperate with police authorities in other countries on international criminal investigations.
Victims receiving support
Following their rescue, Maria Camila Rodas Ortiz and Yuliet Fernanda Rios Mesa were placed in safe custody and are receiving necessary support from the relevant authorities.
The police did not disclose details of their current location for security and protection reasons.
Efforts are also being made to ensure that the victims are reunited with their families in Colombia.
The Colombian Embassy in Accra is reportedly collaborating with Nigeria’s National Central Bureau of INTERPOL to coordinate arrangements for the women’s eventual return to Bogotá.
Their repatriation will require cooperation between Nigerian authorities and Colombian officials to ensure that the process is carried out safely and in accordance with the necessary procedures.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, commended the cooperation between Nigerian and Colombian law enforcement authorities and reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to protecting lives and property.
He also stressed the importance of international partnerships in confronting crimes that do not respect national borders.
Human trafficking remains a major transnational crime because criminal groups can recruit victims in one country, transport them through several locations and exploit them in another jurisdiction.
Cases involving foreign nationals can therefore require cooperation between police agencies, diplomatic missions and other relevant institutions in multiple countries.
The successful rescue of the two Colombian women demonstrates how timely intelligence sharing can assist law enforcement agencies in locating victims and disrupting suspected criminal operations.
For now, the major focus of the investigation is expected to shift towards identifying and apprehending the suspects who escaped from the Lagos hideout.
The police have indicated that efforts will continue to locate the fleeing individuals and determine the full extent of the network allegedly responsible for bringing the women into Nigeria and holding them against their will.
Authorities are also expected to establish whether additional victims may have been targeted by the same group.
The case underscores the need for continued vigilance, intelligence sharing and cooperation among law enforcement agencies to prevent trafficking networks from exploiting vulnerable people through deceptive recruitment and illegal confinement.
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