The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has rescued 24 victims and arrested three suspects linked to cases of missing persons, human trafficking, abduction, and fraud in Badagry, Lagos State.
The Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Oluwaseun Abolurin, said the suspects were arrested on Friday during an operation conducted by NSCDC operatives in Badagry West.
He said the arrests followed intelligence gathered through community engagements conducted between January and March.
Abolurin, while parading the suspects at the NSCDC Badagry Division headquarters in Ibeko, said operatives uncovered an illegal confinement facility where the victims were held and exploited by the suspects.
He said the operation was led by the Divisional Officer, Chief Superintendent of Corps Gbenga Ekunola.
According to him, the victims included citizens of Togo and the Benin Republic, as well as one Nigerian from Imo.
He said a female victim gave birth to a baby girl while in captivity.
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Abolurin added that two other female victims were pregnant.
He said some victims had been missing for as long as three years, while others had been missing for nine months and six months, respectively.
“The victims have suffered memory loss to the point that they cannot remember how they got into those confinements,” he said.
He alleged that the suspects used food items injected with unknown substances to manipulate and control the victims.
“Many families continued searching for their missing relatives without knowing they were being held in an illegal camp,” he said.
Abolurin stressed that some families visited churches, mosques, and traditional shrines in search of answers.
“We have been able to smash this criminal syndicate,” he said.
Abolurin, however, declined to reveal the exact location of the camp in Badagry West.
“That is still classified. It is important for security reasons,” he said.
He, therefore, urged families searching for missing relatives to contact the NSCDC Lagos State Command.
He said the command would work with other security agencies and community groups to combat kidnapping, child trafficking, and other crimes.
He added that the NSCDC would ensure that Lagos State does not become a safe haven for abductors and traffickers.
“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.
(NAN)
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