231 Nigerians Repatriated from Ghana, Including 204 Trafficking Victims
The Nigerian government has received 231 citizens repatriated from Ghana, comprising 204 victims of human trafficking and 27 suspects allegedly involved in cybercrime and trafficking operations.
Collaborative Repatriation Effort
The returnees arrived in Lagos through a joint operation involving Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), and Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). Wema Bank supported the operation by providing transportation, meals, and stipends for the returnees.
Operation Rescue Shield
Dominic Mensah, Head of EOCO’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, revealed that the arrests followed a tip-off about a criminal syndicate operating from a 50-house estate in Ghana.
“Operation Rescue Shield was conducted simultaneously across 26 suspected houses used for illegal cyber activities,” Mensah explained. “Initial arrests included 233 individuals, with 204 identified as victims and 27 as suspected traffickers and internet fraudsters.”
Authorities are currently investigating the estate owner for allegedly facilitating these criminal activities.
Victim Profiles and Recruitment Tactics
The victims, primarily young Nigerians deceived by false job offers, were smuggled into Ghana through illegal routes. Many had been held captive for months or years, forced to participate in cybercrime operations or monitor newer victims on behalf of Nigerian-based traffickers.
Demographic data shows 76 victims from Edo State, with others from Anambra, Delta, Bayelsa, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, and other states. At least 12 victims are minors under 18 years old.
Government Response and Prevention Measures
NIDCOM Chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa stressed the importance of public awareness campaigns: “We need victims to share their stories and media engagement to combat these crimes. Most traffickers are known to their victims—relatives or acquaintances who should be exposed like drug traffickers.”
NAPTIP Lagos Commander Comfort Agboko warned parents about traffickers’ deceptive tactics, including fake job offers for supermarket or office positions in Lagos or abroad, often instructing victims to keep their relocation secret from families.
Next Steps
NAPTIP will profile all returnees and initiate reintegration programs, while suspected traffickers will be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.
Full credit to the original publisher: Daily Trust