The Nigeria Police Force has rescued 46 victims trafficked from Ghana into Nigeria and arrested seven suspects linked to a cross-border human trafficking and internet fraud ring. The operation was carried out by officers of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, following a request from the INTERPOL NCB in Accra, Ghana.
Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the breakthrough, noting that the victims were deceived with promises of jobs in Europe but were instead forced into online scam activities under the QNET network. Among the victims was Samuel Opoku, a Ghanaian national who paid 30,000 Ghanaian Cedis to a fellow Ghanaian, Attah Amankwaah, living in Nigeria. Opoku believed he was heading to Spain for work, only to find himself trapped in a fraudulent network.
The suspects allegedly confined the victims and forced them to promote fake online marketing schemes under pressure. A police raid on the syndicate’s base led to the arrest of six suspects and the discovery of incriminating materials. Statements from the victims helped expose a broader transnational crime network operating across borders.
The 31 rescued individuals were handed over to the Ghana High Commission in Abuja, with assurances of consular support and plans for their safe return and reintegration.
In another case, on June 17, 2025, INTERPOL received a distress alert about four Ghanaian nationals trafficked by a woman named Achiaa Afrifa. Investigators found that Afrifa had collected 126,000 Ghanaian Cedis from her victims, claiming she would help them secure jobs. She was arrested the next day in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where 15 more victims were rescued.
The police say investigations are ongoing, with international cooperation continuing to trace more suspects and protect victims from similar crimes.
