๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ซ๐ฒ, ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฌ, ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ ๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has uncovered an illegal detention camp in Badagry, Lagos State, rescuing 24 victims, including a toddler from premises.
Aside from that, the NSCDC arrested four suspected members of a cross-border criminal syndicate who were suspected to be members of a transborder gang responsible for luring and extorting young foreigners.
The operation, carried out by operatives of the Lagos State Command of the NSCDC in Itoga, Badagry, led to the arrest of four suspects said to be nationals of Togo, Benin Republic and Ghana.
Confirming the development on Friday, the Lagos State Commandant of the NSCDC, Adedotun Keshinro, said the breakthrough was achieved through intelligence gathering and active community engagement. According to him, the raid followed credible information about suspicious activities at criminal hideouts within the area.
Keshinro disclosed that operatives stormed the camp and apprehended the alleged kingpin alongside three other suspects linked to several missing persons discovered at different black spots and hideouts in Itoga.
He revealed that 24 victims comprising 18 males and six females, including a toddler, were rescued during the operation. The victims are nationals of Togo, Benin Republic and Nigeria.
According to preliminary investigations, many of the victims had been lured into the camp through false promises and deceptive inducements, only to find themselves trapped in a cycle of exploitation.
More disturbing, Keshinro disclosed that some of the victims had been missing for periods ranging from three months to as long as three years, leaving their families without any information about their whereabouts.
Investigations further revealed that the suspects allegedly operated an elaborate extortion scheme by forcing victims to contact their relatives with fabricated stories. Victims were reportedly compelled to claim they had been kidnapped, abducted or involved in serious accidents in order to extract money and ransom payments from unsuspecting family members.
The commandant also alleged that victims were coerced into engaging in criminal activities while being held at the camp. These activities included internet fraud, illicit drug-related operations and the recruitment of other unsuspecting individuals into the syndicateโs network.
He noted that several families had made repeated efforts to locate their missing relatives without success until intelligence provided by members of the community helped security operatives trace the hideout.
Keshinro appealed to Nigerians whose relatives have been missing to come forward and assist authorities in identifying some of the rescued victims.
He assured the public that investigations are ongoing and that all suspects involved in the operation will face prosecution upon conclusion of the inquiry.
The latest discovery adds to growing concerns about organised criminal networks operating within border communities. It also comes barely two months after the Lagos NSCDC uncovered a baby factory in Okuju, Ilado area of Badagry, where operatives rescued 18 pregnant women and 10 children and arrested two suspected operators.
Security experts say the latest operation highlights the importance of intelligence sharing and community vigilance in tackling transnational criminal activities and protecting vulnerable persons from exploitation.