The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has dismantled a suspected human trafficking and abduction syndicate in Lagos State, rescuing 24 victims and arresting three suspects during a coordinated operation in the Badagry area of the state.
The operation, carried out by operatives of the Lagos State Command in Badagry West, followed months of intelligence gathering and community-based investigations conducted between January and March.
Speaking while parading the suspects at the NSCDC Badagry Divisional Headquarters in Ibeko on Friday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Oluwaseun Abolurin, said investigations led security operatives to an alleged illegal detention facility where victims were reportedly confined and exploited.
Abolurin disclosed that those rescued included citizens of the Republic of Benin and Togo, as well as a Nigerian from Imo State, indicating that the suspected criminal network operated across national borders.
He revealed that some of the victims had been missing for up to three years, while others had disappeared for periods ranging between six and nine months before they were eventually rescued.
The NSCDC spokesman further disclosed that one of the female victims gave birth to a baby girl while in captivity, while two others were found to be pregnant at the time of their rescue.
According to him, many of the victims appeared unable to recall how they ended up at the facility.
“The victims have suffered memory loss to the point that they cannot remember how they got into those confinements,” Abolurin said.
He alleged that the suspects used food substances mixed with unidentified materials to manipulate and control those held in captivity.
Abolurin noted that several families had spent years searching for missing relatives, visiting churches, mosques and traditional worship centres in a desperate bid to locate them, unaware that they were allegedly being held at the illegal camp.
“We have been able to smash this criminal syndicate,” he stated.
While withholding the exact location of the facility for operational reasons, the NSCDC spokesman said investigations were continuing and urged families with missing relatives to contact the Lagos State Command.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Corps to collaborating with other security agencies and community stakeholders to tackle human trafficking, kidnapping and related crimes.
“We will do everything within our capacity to synergise with relevant stakeholders to ensure that Lagos is not a safe haven for criminals,” Abolurin added.
The operation is regarded as one of the most significant breakthroughs against suspected human trafficking networks in Lagos in recent months and has renewed concerns over the activities of criminal groups operating within border communities.
