NSCDC Busts Illegal Detention Camp In Lagos, Rescues 24 Victims, Arrests Four Foreigners

Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have uncovered an illegal detention camp in the Badagry area of Lagos State, rescuing 24 victims, including a toddler, and arresting four suspected members of a cross-border criminal syndicate.

The suspects, who are reportedly nationals of Togo, Benin Republic and Ghana, were arrested during a raid conducted by personnel of the Lagos State Command of the NSCDC in Itoga, Badagry.

The Lagos State Commandant, Adedotun Keshinro, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by the command’s spokesperson, Oluwaseun Abolurin.

According to Keshinro, the operation followed credible intelligence gathered through sustained surveillance and community engagement on suspicious activities at criminal hideouts within the area.

He said, “Operatives of the NSCDC Lagos State Command, acting on credible and actionable intelligence, arrested the kingpin and three other suspected illegal foreign nationals linked to missing persons found at various black spots and hideouts in Itoga, Badagry.

“The operation also led to the rescue of 24 victims, comprising 18 males and six females, including a toddler. The victims are nationals of Togo, Benin Republic and Nigeria and are believed to have been lured into the camps through inducements and other deceptive means.”

The commandant said preliminary investigations revealed that some of the rescued victims had been missing for months and, in some cases, years before they were found.

“Some of the victims had been declared missing by their families for periods ranging from three months to three years without any knowledge of their whereabouts,” he said.

Keshinro alleged that the suspects operated an organised scheme designed to extort money from the families of their victims.

According to him, victims were allegedly forced to make distress calls to relatives, falsely claiming they had been kidnapped, abducted or involved in accidents in order to obtain ransom payments and other financial benefits.

“The suspects forcefully compelled some of the victims to fabricate stories during telephone conversations with their families, claiming they had been kidnapped, abducted or involved in accidents in a bid to obtain illicit money and ransoms from unsuspecting relatives,” he said.

He further alleged that victims were compelled to participate in criminal activities while being held at the camp.

“The perpetrators also compelled some of the victims to engage in fraudulent activities, trade in hard drugs and lure other unsuspecting persons into the camp,” Keshinro added.

He noted that several families had made unsuccessful attempts to locate their missing relatives before intelligence from local sources eventually led operatives to the hideout.

The NSCDC boss appealed to members of the public searching for missing relatives to come forward and assist authorities in identifying the rescued victims.

“We call on members of the public to come forward and identify any of the victims who may be among relatives they have been searching for,” he said.

Keshinro added that the suspects would be arraigned upon the conclusion of investigations.

“Upon the conclusion of investigations, the suspects will be charged before a court of competent jurisdiction to serve as a deterrent to other criminal elements,” he stated.

The latest operation comes barely two months after the Lagos State Command of the NSCDC uncovered a suspected baby factory in Okuju, Ilado area of Badagry.

During the April operation, NSCDC operatives rescued 18 pregnant women and 10 children and arrested two suspected operators of the facility, identified as Joy Okeke and Raphael Agwu.

Authorities said the victims were allegedly recruited through offers advertised on Facebook before being taken to the facility. (SaharaReporters)