Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command, have arrested a suspected criminal kingpin and three foreign nationals linked to a syndicate that had been holding victims captive at multiple hideouts in Itoga, Badagry.
Twenty-four people, 18 male and 6 female, including a toddler, were rescued on Thursday, June 4, 2026.
The suspects are foreign nationals from Togo, the Benin Republic, and Ghana. Among the rescued are Togolese, Beninese, and Nigerian nationals, including an indigene of Imo State.
Lagos State Commandant Mr Adedotun Keshinro said the breakthrough was made possible through sustained community engagement and timely actionable intelligence, in line with a standing directive from NSCDC Commandant General Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi to strengthen inter-agency collaboration and eliminate persistent security threats.
Preliminary investigations have uncovered a disturbing pattern of exploitation. The suspects routinely coerced their captives into calling home, falsely claiming to have been kidnapped or involved in accidents — a ruse designed to extort money from unsuspecting family members.
Beyond extortion, victims were forced to commit fraud, trade in hard drugs, and recruit additional victims into the network.
Some of those rescued had been reported missing for as long as three years and nine months. Their families, having exhausted every conventional avenue to find them, had reportedly turned to shrines and spiritual rituals in desperation.
Commandant Keshinro has appealed to members of the public to come forward and identify any of the rescued victims who may be relatives they have been searching for.
He has also directed that, upon conclusion of investigations, all four suspects will be charged and prosecuted before a competent court to serve as a deterrent to other would-be offenders in the state. #Securitynewsalert.com
