NAPTIP receives 105 Nigerians rescued from syndicates in Ghana

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says it has rescued 105 Nigerians during an operation against cybercrime syndicates in Ghana, as authorities continue efforts to protect victims of exploitation and irregular migration.

In a statement issued on Monday, Vincent Adekoye, NAPTIP’s Head of Press and Public Relations Unit, said the operation was coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) following contact from Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority.

According to NAPTIP, Ghanaian authorities rescued 119 Nigerians during the operation. Of these, 105 have been repatriated to Nigeria, while the remaining 14 are still undergoing processing.

Several Nigerian security and law enforcement agencies were involved, including the Nigeria Immigration Service, Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency, and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons. The Nigerian High Commission in Ghana and other partners also participated.

NAPTIP Director-General Binta Bello, who received the returnees on behalf of the Nigerian government, assured them of their safety and said they would undergo profiling and reintegration procedures.

The agency said the process would help determine their individual circumstances and the assistance they require.

The development highlights the cross-border nature of trafficking and exploitation, a subject explored in recent PREMIUM TIMES investigations into how criminal networks exploit vulnerable Nigerians through deceptive promises of employment, education and better living conditions.

PREMIUM TIMES previously reported that traffickers exploited Benue’s conflict to steal children and women, and that armed conflict, displacement and economic hardship in Benue State had created conditions that traffickers exploited to recruit women and girls and remove children from their families.

The investigation found that more than 300 children were allegedly taken from Yelewata, Daudu and Agban communities in Guma Local Government Area in 2024 through a purported Back-to-School programme. Parents were promised free education, food and accommodation for their children, with assurances that they would return home during Christmas and Easter holidays.

Instead, the children were allegedly moved through orphanage homes in Abuja and Nasarawa State before being distributed to other locations. NAPTIP said some were sold to prospective adopters under the guise of legal adoption.

The agency identified Anderson Archibong, Executive Secretary of the National Council of Child Rights Advocates of Nigeria (NACCRAN), as the alleged mastermind of the operation. NAPTIP said Archibong and other suspects have been arraigned in connection with the case.

The agency previously said it had rescued 105 children linked to the Benue operation, reuniting 101 with their families while four remained in its custody as efforts to trace their relatives continued.

A subsequent NAPTIP announcement reported that more than 180 children had been rescued in operations across five states, including children allegedly taken from conflict-affected communities under the guise of educational support.

The latest repatriation from Ghana involves a separate operation targeting cybercrime syndicates. NAPTIP’s statement did not specify whether any of the 105 returnees were identified as victims of human trafficking or whether they had been compelled to participate in cybercrime.

The agency said it would screen the returnees and provide support according to their individual circumstances.

Mrs Bello encouraged the returnees to remain calm as the government carried out the necessary procedures. NAPTIP said its engagement reflected its responsibility to protect their dignity, welfare, and safety.

The agency also thanked the Ghanaian authorities, particularly the Cyber Security Authority and Ghana Immigration Service, as well as the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, for their operational support.

It commended ONSA, Nigerian security agencies and other partners for coordinating the operation.

NAPTIP urged Nigerians to exercise caution when considering employment, scholarships, and other opportunities abroad, particularly offers with unrealistic promises, vague job descriptions, or suspicious recruitment arrangements.

The agency said it would continue to strengthen cooperation with national and international partners to combat human trafficking and related forms of exploitation.

For families affected by trafficking in Benue, the latest development comes amid continuing efforts to trace missing children and prosecute those accused of exploiting displaced communities.

NAPTIP has said prolonged insecurity and the displacement of families have increased vulnerability to trafficking in Benue, which the agency previously identified as a leading source of trafficking cases in Nigeria.

The agency’s latest operation in Ghana underscores the importance of cross-border cooperation in identifying, rescuing, and assisting Nigerians caught in exploitative networks. However, the circumstances of the returnees and the nature of their involvement in the cybercrime operations remain unclear from the information released by NAPTIP.