NAPTIP Rescues 231 Nigerians from Ghana Cybercrime Syndicate, 27 Suspected Traffickers Included

NAPTIP Rescues 231 Nigerians from Ghana Cybercrime Syndicate, 27 Suspected Traffickers Included

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on Thursday received 231 Nigerians repatriated from Ghana, including 27 individuals suspected to be human traffickers.

The returnees were handed over by the Ghanaian government through the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to NAPTIP and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), following a major crackdown on a human trafficking and cybercrime ring operating from a gated estate in Ghana.

According to reports, four of the returnees were women believed to be victims of trafficking, while the rest were mostly young men. Some of them had allegedly been held for years and forced into cybercrime by the syndicate.

EOCO official Dominic Mensah, speaking during the handover event at NAPTIP’s office in Ikeja, said the operation—code-named Operation Rescue Shield—was initiated following credible intelligence about illegal activities in 26 houses within one estate.

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According to EOCO’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit staff officer, Dominic Meza, “We received a complaint on March 28th from an informant alleging that a group of Nigerians were using young people for cybercrime. Surveillance was carried out, and we launched the operation at 3:30 a.m. one week ago with support from national security and police services. A total of 233 persons were initially arrested.”

Meza further revealed that the victims were deceived with promises of job opportunities but were later trapped and exploited. Many of them had been confined within the compound for extended periods, ranging from weeks to several years.

Authorities have pledged further investigation and prosecution of the suspected traffickers, while efforts are underway to rehabilitate the victims.