Ghana Govt Rescues over 231 Trafficked Nigerians to NiDCOM, NAPTIP
The Ghanaian government has handed over 231 Nigerians rescued from an alleged human trafficking and cybercrime ring to Nigerian authorities. Speaking at the handover in Lagos, the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, confirmed that the victims, mostly young men and women, had been trafficked into Ghana under false pretences and exploited for cyber fraud.
Dabiri-Erewa stressed the need for state governments to support their returning indigenes. She said: “The largest number from this group is from Edo State, with 76 individuals. Others come from states like Anambra (six), Delta (17), Bayelsa (13), Imo (19), Enugu (12), Ebonyi (eight), Cross River (seven), Abia (nine), Niger (four), Akwa Ibom (three), Kogi (six), Ondo (one), and Osun (one). We appeal to the state governors to work with NAPTIP to aid these victims, noting that 12 of them are minors.”
She called for increased awareness, stricter enforcement, and regional cooperation, noting that traffickers were exploiting the ECOWAS protocol on free movement. “We must name and shame the traffickers. These are evil people. If these boys knew what they were going into, many would not have gone. We need massive awareness campaigns, and the media must help us spread the message,” she urged.
The Zonal Coordinator of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Lagos, Comfort Agboko, said some of the rescued individuals had been trafficked and used for internet fraud. She noted that the EFCC had been contacted and that suspects among the group would be handed over after internal investigations. She added that the agency would provide immediate medical attention to victims and ensure their rehabilitation through profiling and reintegration.
According to the staff officer of Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Dominic Mensah, an informant reported that a section of an estate comprising 50 houses was used by suspected Nigerian traffickers for cyber fraud. Surveillance confirmed that 26 houses were involved.
“We launched a simultaneous raid, tagged ‘Operation Rescue Shield,’ on all 26 houses at about 3:30 a.m., with support from the Ghana Police Service and National Security. We arrested 233 individuals. After screening, we identified the victims and suspects and released those not connected to the crimes,” he said.
Mensah disclosed that some of the victims had lived in captivity for up to five years, while others had arrived only days before the raid. He revealed that the suspected ringleaders, referred to as “chairmen,” operate from Nigeria and use local agents in Ghana to manage the trafficked individuals.
“The suspects arrested were fronting for these chairmen. They ensured that new recruits didn’t escape and carried out the illicit activities. The owner of the estate is also under investigation for aiding and abetting the syndicate,” he added.
