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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

NSCDC busts illegal detention camp in Lagos, rescues 24, arrests four

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) busted an illegal detention camp in Badagry, Lagos State.
  • Operatives rescued 24 victims, including a toddler, and arrested four foreign nationals suspected of running the camp.
  • The syndicate allegedly lured victims with deceptive means and extorted money from their families, forcing some into criminal activities.

Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have uncovered an illegal detention camp in the Itoga area of Badagry, Lagos State, leading to the rescue of 24 victims and the arrest of four individuals suspected of operating a cross-border criminal syndicate.

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.

— Adedotun KeshinroLagos State Commandant of the NSCDC, detailing the operation.

The arrested suspects are reportedly nationals of Togo, Benin Republic, and Ghana. The operation, spearheaded by the NSCDC Lagos State Command, followed credible intelligence gathering and community engagement. Lagos State Commandant Adedotun Keshinro stated that the raid targeted suspected criminal hideouts based on actionable information regarding the syndicate's activities.

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.

— Adedotun KeshinroLagos State Commandant of the NSCDC, providing details on the rescued victims.

During the operation, 18 males and six females, including a toddler, were rescued. The victims, who hail from Togo, Benin Republic, and Nigeria, were allegedly lured into the camp through inducements and deceptive tactics. Preliminary investigations revealed that some victims had been missing for extended periods, ranging from three months to three years, before their rescue.

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.

— Adedotun KeshinroLagos State Commandant of the NSCDC, on the duration some victims were missing.

Keshinro further alleged that the suspects operated an elaborate scheme to extort money from the victims' relatives. They reportedly compelled some victims to fabricate stories of kidnapping or accidents during phone calls to their families to obtain illicit funds and ransoms. Additionally, the perpetrators allegedly forced victims into engaging in fraudulent activities, trading hard drugs, and luring other unsuspecting individuals into the camp. The NSCDC has appealed to the public to come forward and identify any rescued victims who may be their missing relatives, assuring that the suspects will face prosecution upon completion of investigations.

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.

— Adedotun KeshinroLagos State Commandant of the NSCDC, explaining the extortion methods used by the syndicate.
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Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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