The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has uncovered an illegal detention camp in the Badagry area of Lagos State and rescued 24 victims, including a toddler, while arresting four suspected members of a cross-border criminal syndicate.
The suspects, said to be nationals of Togo, Benin Republic and Ghana, were arrested during an operation carried out by operatives of the Lagos State Command of the NSCDC in Itoga, Badagry.
The Lagos State Commandant, Adedotun Keshinro, disclosed this in a statement on Friday by the command’s spokesperson, Oluwaseun Abolurin.
Keshinro attributed the success of the operation to intelligence gathering and community engagement, noting that the raid followed credible information on activities at suspected criminal hideouts in 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 disclosed that preliminary investigations showed some of the victims had been missing for extended periods before they were rescued.
“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 elaborate scheme aimed at extorting money from victims’ relatives.
He said, “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 further alleged that the victims were forced into criminal activities while being held in 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,” he added.
The commandant said efforts by some families to locate their missing relatives had proved unsuccessful until intelligence obtained from local sources led operatives to the hideout.
He appealed to members of the public searching for missing relatives to come forward and assist 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,” Keshinro said.
He added that the suspects would be prosecuted after the investigations are concluded.
“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.
Recall that in April, the same Lagos NSCDC busted a baby factory in Okuju, Ilado, Badagry area of Lagos State.
In the operation, the operatives rescued 18 pregnant women and 10 children and arrested the operators of the facility, Joy Okeke and Raphael Agwu.
The victims were said to have subscribed to the facility via an offer on a Facebook platform.
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