Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have uncovered an unlawful detention facility in Badagry, Lagos, freeing 24 persons and taking four suspects into custody. The raid followed weeks of intelligence gathering and community tips.

Lagos State Commandant Adedotun Keshinro said the operation was carried out by NSCDC personnel in Itoga, Badagry, after credible information on suspicious activities at criminal hideouts. The facility was allegedly run by a cross-border syndicate with links to Togo, Benin Republic, and Ghana.

According to the command, 24 victims were rescued from the camp 18 males and six females, including a toddler. The captives are nationals of Nigeria, Togo, and Benin Republic, and investigators believe they were lured into the camp through false promises and deceptive tactics.

Keshinro noted that some victims had been missing for months, with others unaccounted for up to three years before the rescue. He alleged the suspects operated an extortion scheme targeting relatives of those held captive.

The four detained persons, described as foreign nationals, are undergoing further interrogation. NSCDC said investigations are ongoing to dismantle the network and prosecute all those involved.

Source: Punch, Channels Television.