The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has dismantled a suspected human trafficking and abduction syndicate operating in Lagos State, rescuing 24 victims and arresting three suspects during a major security operation in the Badagry area of the state.
The breakthrough, described as one of the most significant anti-human trafficking operations in Lagos in recent months, followed months of intelligence gathering, surveillance, and community engagement conducted by operatives of the NSCDC Lagos State Command between January and March.
Speaking during the parade of the suspects at the NSCDC Badagry Division headquarters in Ibeko on Friday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Oluwaseun Abolurin, disclosed that investigators uncovered an alleged illegal confinement facility where victims were reportedly held under inhumane conditions and subjected to various forms of exploitation.
According to Abolurin, the rescued individuals include citizens of the Republic of Benin and Togo, as well as a Nigerian from Imo State, underscoring the cross-border nature of the suspected criminal enterprise.
He revealed that several of the victims had been missing for extended periods, with some reportedly unaccounted for as long as three years before their eventual rescue. Others had disappeared for periods ranging between six and nine months.
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In a particularly disturbing development, the NSCDC spokesman disclosed that one of the female victims gave birth to a baby girl while in captivity, while two other women were found to be pregnant at the time of their rescue.
“The victims have suffered memory loss to the point that they cannot remember how they got into those confinements,” Abolurin stated.
He further alleged that the suspects relied on food items laced with unidentified substances to manipulate and control their victims, making it difficult for them to escape or recall the circumstances surrounding their captivity.
The NSCDC official noted that many of the victims’ families had spent years desperately searching for their loved ones, visiting churches, mosques, traditional shrines, and other places in search of answers, unaware that the missing persons were allegedly being held in an illegal camp within the state.
“We have been able to smash this criminal syndicate,” Abolurin declared, describing the operation as a major success in the fight against human trafficking and related crimes.
While withholding the exact location of the facility for security and investigative reasons, he said authorities were continuing their investigations to identify other members of the network and uncover the full scope of the operation.
He urged families with missing relatives to contact the Lagos State Command of the NSCDC, expressing optimism that additional victims could still be traced through ongoing investigations.
Abolurin also reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to collaborating with other security agencies, community leaders, and relevant stakeholders to combat human trafficking, kidnapping, and other organised crimes across Lagos and its border communities.
“We will do everything within our capacity to synergise with relevant stakeholders to ensure that Lagos is not a safe haven for criminals,” he said.