NSCDC Busts Suspected Baby Factory, Rescues 28 Victims In Lagos

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command, has dismantled a suspected baby factory syndicate operating in the Badagry axis of Lagos, rescuing 28 victims and arresting two suspects in what it described as a coordinated, intelligence-led operation.

This was disclosed in a statement, signed by Babawale Afolabi, Assistant Commandant of Corps and National Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC, which was released on Saturday via Corps’ verified Facebook page and detailed how the operation was carried out in Lagos State.

According to the NSCDC, the operation, conducted between April 15 and 16, 2026, followed “three weeks of sustained surveillance,” which led operatives to “a concealed location at Okuju, Ilado area of Olorunda, Badagry.”

Briefing the media, Lagos State Commandant, Adedotun Keshinro, disclosed that the victims comprised “17 heavily pregnant women and 11 others, including children, infants, and an adult male.” He explained that preliminary findings indicated the victims were “allegedly recruited through a Facebook-based scheme targeting vulnerable pregnant women, with promises of financial compensation ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦1,000,000 after delivery.”

Keshinro further revealed that the victims were held “in deplorable and unsanitary conditions,” adding that “one of the pregnant women reportedly lost her pregnancy due to neglect and lack of proper medical attention.”

Items recovered from the scene, according to the Corps, included “mobile phones, gas cylinders, a generator set, cooking utensils, and other household materials suspected to have supported the illegal operation.”

The NSCDC stated that, “the suspects, alongside the rescued victims, have been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation and prosecution.”

Commending the operation, Commandant General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, described it as “a demonstration of the Corps’ strengthened intelligence-driven policing strategy and unwavering commitment to dismantling criminal networks nationwide.” He reiterated the Corps’ resolve to “intensify inter-agency collaboration and technology-based operations in combating human trafficking and related crimes.”

The Corps urged members of the public to “remain vigilant, especially regarding online offers and recruitment schemes targeting vulnerable individuals,” advising citizens to “verify all suspicious claims and promptly report any unusual activities to the nearest security agency.”

It further emphasised that “timely intelligence sharing and community vigilance remain critical tools in the collective fight against human trafficking and organised exploitation.”