The Badagry house of horror: 24 Victims rescued

By Linda Agbu

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has dismantled a suspected human trafficking and abduction network in Lagos State, rescuing 24 victims and arresting three suspects during a major operation in Badagry.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the operation, carried out by operatives of the Lagos State Command in Badagry West, followed months of intelligence gathering and community engagement efforts conducted 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, said investigators uncovered what he described as an illegal confinement facility where victims were allegedly held and exploited.

According to him, the rescued victims include nationals of Togo and the Republic of Benin, as well as a Nigerian from Imo State, highlighting the transnational dimension of the suspected criminal operation.

Abolurin disclosed that some of the victims had been missing for as long as three years, while others had disappeared for periods ranging from six to nine months before their rescue.

In a disturbing revelation, he said a female victim gave birth to a baby girl while in captivity, while two other women were discovered to be pregnant.

“The victims have suffered memory loss to the point that they cannot remember how they got into those confinements,” he said.

The NSCDC spokesman further alleged that the suspects used food items laced with unknown substances to manipulate and control the victims.

He noted that many families had spent years searching desperately for their missing relatives, visiting churches, mosques and traditional shrines in search of answers, unaware that their loved ones were allegedly being held in an illegal camp.

“We have been able to smash this criminal syndicate,” Abolurin declared.

While declining to disclose the exact location of the facility for security reasons, he said investigations were ongoing and urged families with missing relatives to contact the Lagos State Command.

He reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to working with other security agencies and community stakeholders to combat human trafficking, kidnapping and related crimes across the state.

“We will do everything within our capacity to synergise with relevant stakeholders to ensure that Lagos is not a safe haven for criminals,” he added.

The development marks one of the most significant anti-human trafficking operations recorded in the state in recent months and has raised fresh concerns about the activities of criminal syndicates operating across border communities.