NB247
No fewer than 20 persons held hostage by a ponzi scheme syndicate in Obaile, in Akure, have been rescued following an operation by men of the Ondo State police command.
Police said one Sakariya Sadiq, 26, was arrested after some parents filed complaints of the disappearance of their children who are from Osun and Oyo States.
The victims were declared missing since November last year after they were supposedly called up for a job in Akure introduced to them by their friends.
“On April 24, 2025, the Command Surveillance team, swung into action, and through intelligence led policing traced the people held hostage, to a residence at Oba-Ile in Akure,” Wilfred Afolabi, the Police Commissioner, said on Thursday while parading the suspects.
“During the operation one Sakariya Sadiq ‘m’ was discovered to be the prime suspect involved in the alleged criminal activities.
“The operation also led to the rescue of 20 victims held hostage by the said suspect at the residence in Oba-Ile, Akure, namely: One Rafiu Kehinde ‘m’, One Adebayo Nafisat ‘f’, One Mohammed Aishat ‘f’, One jesujuwon Osuntoki ‘m’, One Mustapha Gbolahan ‘m’, One ibukun Samuel ‘m’, One gbolahan Wasiu ‘m’, One Aminu Ifasina ‘m’, One Mohammed Sheifff ‘m’, One Adebayo Rohemat ‘f’, One Saheed Ibrahim ‘m’, One Ibrahim Adebayo ‘m’, One Adebayo Sukurat ‘f’, One Olawoyi Wasilat ‘f’, One Sholagberu Shakirat ‘f’, One Adeyemi Skukurat ‘f’, One Basari Saadiqq ‘m’, One Raji Taofeek ‘m’.”
Mr Afolabi said the victims were allegedly lured into joining a Ponzi scheme called “Quest International Company” under false promises of profit.
“Each victim is demanded to pay ₦1,500,000.00 each, and also instructed to refer two others to the scheme as criteria to become a member of the group, after which they are denied access to their relatives,” the police commissioner said.
“The suspect claimed that the money is for the victims’ Chi-pendants, Bio-Discs and accommodation. The suspect will be charged to court upon the completion of the investigation while efforts are also in progress to reunite the victims with their families.”
The development is coming at a time when the nation is grappling with a number of failed ponzi schemes with millions of Nigerians losing huge sums of money.
Authorities are currently investigating a N1.2trillion fraud involving Crypto Bridge Exchange(CBEX), which has affected over 600,000 Nigerians.
Meanwhile, the police also apprehended a suspect, Oyebode Oluwakemi, for job racketeering after she allegedly defrauded her victim of N5.3million.
The police said she had pretended to be securing government jobs for her victims with the intent of defrauding then.
“As a result of the dragnet spread across the state and the intensified manhunt, on 28th April 2025, detectives from the Special Enquiry Unit (SEU) Ondo State command, nabbed the suspect,” Mr Afolabi said.
“In the course of investigation it was discovered that the suspect had defrauded many people running to the tune of two hundred and fifty million naira (#250,000,000.00). The suspect will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.”