NSCDC Busts Illegal Immigrant Camp in Badagry, Arrests Four Suspects, Rescues 17 Victims

The Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has uncovered and dismantled a camp allegedly used for fraudulent network marketing, human trafficking, extortion, and other criminal activities in the Torikoh area of Badagry, Lagos State.
The operation, carried out on Thursday, May 7, 2026, led to the arrest of four male suspects — three Togolese nationals and one Beninese — while 17 victims were rescued from the camp.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Lagos State Command Public Relations Officer, SC Oluwaseun Abolurin, the operation followed credible intelligence on the activities of illegal immigrants allegedly involved in human rights abuses, unlawful detention, sabotage, and internet fraud within the Badagry axis.
The rescued victims comprised 12 males aged between 25 and 35 years and five females aged between 25 and 30 years. Authorities withheld the identities of both suspects and victims.
The Command disclosed that investigations revealed the victims were lured into Nigeria through Facebook advertisements operated by one of the Togolese suspects, who allegedly promised them lucrative employment opportunities and a better life in Nigeria.
However, upon arrival, the victims were reportedly forced to register for a fraudulent internet marketing scheme and subsequently extorted by the operators, who failed to deliver the promised jobs.
In a dramatic twist, the suspects allegedly attempted to bribe NSCDC operatives in Badagry with 130,000 CFA francs, but the officers rejected the offer and added the money to exhibits recovered during the operation.
Other items recovered from the suspects included an HP laptop, files, QNET letterheaded papers, leather bags, mobile phones, and pharmaceutical products allegedly used on victims.
Further investigations indicated that intending participants in the scheme were required to pay 650,000 CFA francs as registration fees before joining the business. The products associated with the operation were said to be imported from Malaysia through channels yet to be verified.
The NSCDC also linked the syndicate to cross-border criminal activities similar to trafficking networks recently uncovered in Ghana, where hundreds of victims, including minors, were rescued.
Authorities identified four operational camps allegedly used by the syndicate in Aradagun, Mowo, Badagry Town, and Limca areas of Badagry. Two of the camps had already been abandoned by suspects before security operatives arrived.
The Lagos State Commandant warned perpetrators of human trafficking, fraud, and economic sabotage to desist or face the full weight of the law.
To strengthen inter-agency collaboration against transnational crimes, the NSCDC has handed over the suspects and rescued victims to the Nigeria Immigration Service, Lagos State Command, for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The Command assured residents that investigations were ongoing to uncover the full extent of the operation, identify collaborators, and seal all identified camps linked to the criminal network.