By Ayodele Oni
Seventeen heavily pregnant women, children, infants, and an adult male are among 28 persons rescued by Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) at a suspected baby factory in the Badagry area of Lagos State.
Already, two suspects have been arrested while the baby factory has been dismantled.
The operation, carried out by the Lagos State Command between April 15 and 16, 2026, followed weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance that led officers to a hidden facility in the Okuju, Ilado area of Olorunda, Badagry.
In a statement signed on Saturday by the NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, the agency revealed that the victims included 17 heavily pregnant women, alongside 11 others made up of children, infants, and an adult male.
Briefing journalists on the development, the State Commandant, Adedotun Keshinro, disclosed that preliminary findings showed the victims were lured through a Facebook recruitment scheme targeting vulnerable pregnant women with promises of financial rewards after childbirth.
According to him, the victims were allegedly promised between ₦500,000 and ₦1,000,000 upon delivery, a tactic believed to have been used to sustain the illegal operation.
Investigations further revealed that those held in the facility were kept in poor and unsanitary conditions, with little or no access to proper medical care.
The Commandant noted that one of the pregnant women reportedly lost her pregnancy due to neglect.
Items recovered from the location included mobile phones, gas cylinders, a generator set, cooking utensils, and other materials believed to have been used in running the operation.
He stated both the suspects and the rescued victims have been transferred to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, (NAPTIP), for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Reacting to the development, the Commandant General of the Corps, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, described the raid as a reflection of the agency’s growing reliance on intelligence-led operations to tackle organised crime.
He reiterated the Corps’ commitment to strengthening collaboration with other security and law enforcement agencies, particularly in the fight against human trafficking and exploitation.
Audi also urged members of the public to exercise caution, especially when responding to online offers and recruitment schemes that appear suspicious.
He emphasised that community vigilance and timely sharing of information remain critical in identifying and dismantling criminal networks involved in trafficking and other forms of organised exploitation.
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