Juliet Oladele, Reporting
THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command, has arrested 18 suspects and rescued 125 victims during a series of coordinated operations targeting an alleged fake university, Ponzi scheme operators, human traffickers, illegal migrants and vandals in Badagry.
The operations, carried out between July 14 and July 20, followed credible intelligence gathered through sustained community engagements with stakeholders in the Badagry axis of Lagos State, according to the Command.
Among those rescued were 107 Nigerians and 18 foreign nationals.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Lagos State Command Public Relations Officer, SC Oluwaseun Abolurin, the NSCDC disclosed that operatives on Monday, July 20, raided a suspected fake university in Imeke village, Olorunda Local Council Development Area.
The institution, whose name was withheld, was allegedly operating without accreditation and offering unauthorised courses, including nursing.
Six male suspects, aged between 24 and 31, were arrested in connection with the operation.
The Corps said investigations revealed that 107 unsuspecting Nigerians who had enrolled at the institution were subsequently lured into participating in a Ponzi scheme.
In a related operation on Sunday, July 19, NSCDC operatives arrested a Cameroonian national allegedly involved in operating a Ponzi scheme and facilitating illegal entry into Nigeria.
Another suspect was arrested on Saturday, July 18, at Alafia Community along Itoga Road, Badagry, over alleged human trafficking and facilitation of illegal migration.
The arrest led to the rescue of 10 Cameroonian nationals, who, according to the NSCDC, had endured months of exploitation.
“The victims have toiled and suffered for months in the hands of these evil doers, who are only interested in dehumanising their fellow human beings with the sole aim of profiteering,” the statement said.
The Command also announced that seven suspects linked to the vandalism of public school infrastructure in Ibereko, Badagry, had been arrested on July 14 and prosecuted after investigations were concluded.
Five of the suspects were minors aged between 12 and 16.
They were accused of vandalising school desks, electrical cables and office facilities.
In addition, three foreign nationals, including a citizen of the Niger Republic, were arrested over alleged involvement in Ponzi scheme operations, illegal migration and other offences in the Itoga and Imeke areas of Badagry.
Lagos State Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr Adedotun Sunday Keshinro, directed that all suspects be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
He also cautioned prospective students against seeking admission through unauthorised institutions, warning that desperation for admission could expose them to fraudulent schemes.
Keshinro further reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to protecting public infrastructure, stressing that attacks on school facilities and other government assets would not be tolerated in Lagos State.
