Odita Sunday 
NSCDC arrests four foreign suspects over alleged human trafficking, internet fraud in Lagos
By Odita Sunday
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Lagos State Command, has arrested four foreign nationals allegedly involved in human trafficking, internet-related fraud, extortion, and unlawful detention in Badagry area of the state.
The Command also rescued 17 victims from what it described as an illegal camp operated by the suspects under the guise of a network marketing business.
The NSCDC Public Relations Officer in Lagos, SC Oluwaseun Abolurin, who disclosed this in a statement revealed that the suspects comprised three Togolese nationals and one Beninese national, while the victims included 12 males and five females aged between 25 and 35 years.
The Command explained that the operation followed actionable intelligence concerning suspicious activities around the Torikoh axis of Badagry.
The statement noted that operatives carried out a coordinated raid on the camp on Thursday, May 7, 2026, leading to the arrest of the suspects and the rescue of the victims.
The NSCDC alleged that the syndicate used social media platforms, particularly Facebook, to lure unsuspecting victims from neighbouring West African countries into Nigeria with promises of employment opportunities and improved living conditions.
“Intelligence gathering revealed that victims were lured via Facebook account operated by one Togolese, who promised them good employment, better life and greener pasture in Nigeria,” the statement partly read.
The agency added that upon arrival, the victims were allegedly forced to register for a fraudulent internet marketing scheme through which they were extorted by the operators.
Investigators further discovered that intending members were allegedly compelled to pay about 650,000 CFA as registration fees before participating in the scheme.
The NSCDC said the suspects failed to provide the promised jobs and instead subjected victims to exploitation and financial manipulation through a network marketing structure.
The Command also revealed that the suspects allegedly attempted to bribe operatives with 130,000 CFA during the operation, but the offer was rejected.
The money was later displayed as part of exhibits recovered from the scene.
Other items recovered included an HP laptop, mobile phones, files, leather bags, pharmaceutical products, and QNET letter-headed documents.
The Command said findings from the investigation suggested that the syndicate’s activities were linked to transnational organised crimes across West Africa.
It added that similar trafficking and exploitation patterns had previously been uncovered in Ghana and other countries within the sub-region.
The NSCDC further disclosed that four camps used by the syndicate had been identified in Aradagun, Mowo, Badagry Town, and Limca areas.
According to the Command, two of the camps had already been abandoned before operatives arrived, as suspects reportedly fled the locations.
The agency said the camps would be sealed as part of efforts to dismantle the criminal network and prevent future operations.
The Lagos State Commandant warned individuals involved in human trafficking, fraud, and other criminal activities to desist, stressing that the Corps would intensify operations against organised crime syndicates operating within the state.
He also directed that the suspects and rescued victims be transferred to the Nigeria Immigration Service, Lagos State Command, for further investigation and necessary legal action.
The Command assured residents that investigations were ongoing to identify collaborators and establish the full scale of the syndicate’s operations.
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