BADAGRY, LAGOS – In a high-stakes midnight operation, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has uncovered a suspected "baby factory" operating in the Okuju-Ilado community of Badagry. The raid resulted in the rescue of 27 individuals, including 17 pregnant women and 10 children, exposing a sophisticated human trafficking ring.
The Lagos State Commandant of the NSCDC, Adedotun Keshinro, revealed that the breakthrough followed three weeks of intensive intelligence gathering and surveillance on a large residential building that housed multiple hidden apartments.
Commandant Keshinro explained that the operators of the facility targeted vulnerable women through social media. Using a fraudulent Facebook account, the suspects reportedly lured pregnant women with promises of financial stability and prenatal care. Once the victims were convinced, the conversations were moved to private messaging apps to finalise travel arrangements.
“Once the victims arrive, their freedom is restricted,” Keshinro told journalists. “They are confined within the premises, and their movements are closely monitored.”
The rescued women, aged between 18 and 35, included one victim who had tragically suffered a miscarriage during her confinement.
During the raid, two key suspects were apprehended. One of the suspects, Joy Okeke, admitted that the operation had previously been based in Ikorodu before relocating to the Badagry axis in January 2026. However, she declined to provide further details, citing her right to legal representation.
The second suspect, **Alfred Junior**, maintained that the women were there of their own volition. “The pregnant women come on their own. Sometimes we give them transport money and take care of them after agreements are signed,” he claimed.
Some victims shared harrowing stories of desperation. One woman admitted she sought out the facility after being abandoned by the man responsible for her pregnancy. “I came here on my own because he refused to take responsibility, and I had nowhere else to go,” she said.
Residents of Okuju-Ilado expressed shock at the discovery, noting that while the building seemed suspicious, they never imagined it housed a baby factory. Adebayo Odunfa, Chairman of the Okuju-Ilado Community Development Association, noted that the occupants were rarely seen in public.
“A man usually handled all the food purchases and kept the gate locked at all times. We had no idea what was happening behind those walls until the NSCDC arrived,” Odunfa said.
The NSCDC has confirmed that both the victims and the suspects will be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation and prosecution.