The Nigerian government has welcomed the return of 231 citizens from Ghana, comprising 204 victims of human trafficking and 27 individuals suspected of involvement in cybercrime and trafficking-related offenses.
The returnees arrived in Lagos on Friday and were received by officials from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), in collaboration with Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). Wema Bank supported the repatriation by providing transportation, meals, and financial assistance to the returnees.
According to Dominic Mensah, head of EOCO’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, the arrests followed a tip-off about a criminal syndicate operating within a 50-house estate in Ghana. The resulting operation, codenamed Rescue Shield, targeted 26 properties believed to be hubs for illegal cyber activities.
“Out of 233 people initially apprehended, 204 were identified as victims, while 27 were confirmed as suspected traffickers and cybercriminals,” Mensah said. He added that the estate owner is currently under investigation for potentially facilitating the crimes.
Most of the victims, many of whom are under 18, were reportedly smuggled into Ghana through unauthorized border routes after being deceived with fake job offers. Once in Ghana, they were trapped in forced cybercrime operations, with some being coerced into overseeing new recruits for traffickers based in Nigeria.
Of the 204 victims, 76 hail from Edo State, while others come from states including Anambra, Delta, Bayelsa, Imo, Enugu, and Ebonyi.
NIDCOM Chairperson, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, stressed the importance of public awareness in combating human trafficking. “Victims should be encouraged to tell their stories. Many of the traffickers are people they know—family or friends. These perpetrators must be publicly exposed, just like drug traffickers,” she said.
NAPTIP’s Lagos Commander, Comfort Agboko, called on parents to be more vigilant, noting that traffickers often use deceptive promises of jobs in Lagos or overseas to lure their targets and instruct them to keep silent about their plans.
NAPTIP confirmed that all returnees will undergo profiling and begin the reintegration process, while the suspects will be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.