Ghana Repatriates 231 Trafficked Nigerians to NiDCOM, NAPTIP

The Ghanaian government has handed over 231 Nigerian nationals—victims of human trafficking and cybercrime—to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

At the official handover in Lagos, NiDCOM Chairperson Abike Dabiri-Erewa revealed that the victims, mostly young men and women, were lured to Ghana under false pretences and exploited for cybercrime activities. She emphasized the urgent need for state governments to support the returnees, noting that Edo State accounted for the highest number with 76 victims.

Others hailed from various states, including Delta, Imo, Enugu, Bayelsa, and Anambra.

Dabiri-Erewa urged stronger enforcement and awareness efforts, citing abuse of the ECOWAS free movement protocol by trafficking networks. “We must expose these traffickers. They are evil. Many victims didn’t know what they were walking into,” she said.

NAPTIP’s Lagos Zonal Coordinator, Comfort Agboko, confirmed that some of the victims had been forced into online fraud and said investigations were ongoing. Medical care and rehabilitation services are being arranged for the rescued individuals.

According to Dominic Mensah of Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the victims were discovered in a 50-house estate used as a cybercrime hub by Nigerian traffickers. A joint raid, "Operation Rescue Shield," was conducted on 26 of the houses at 3:30 a.m., resulting in 233 arrests. After screening, victims were separated from suspects.

Mensah noted that some victims had been held for up to five years. He said the trafficking network was coordinated by "chairmen" in Nigeria, with local agents managing operations in Ghana. Investigations are also ongoing against the estate’s owner for allegedly aiding the syndicate.