The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, has rescued 46 trafficked victims in two separate occasions, who were trafficked by a cross-border syndicate.
The Force PRO, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a statement released.
31 of the victims, he said, had been trafficked from Ghana to Nigeria under the false pretense of finding work in Europe. He stated that the victims were tricked into engaging in fraudulent online marketing activities associated with the QNET network and Green job opportunities after being seduced by false promises.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that in August 2024, one Samuel Dankwah Opoku, a Ghanaian national, was deceived by one George Tenkron, who falsely assured him of employment in Spain. Opoku was directed to travel to Nigeria, where he became ensnared in QNET’s fraudulent schemes. It was further uncovered that the victim had paid (GHC 30,000) to one Attah Amankwaah, a Ghanaian residing in Nigeria and a known member of the QNET network. This syndicate specializes in manipulating and confining individuals into exploitative online marketing scams under duress and false obligations.
Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force apprehended six suspects, including Amankwaah, and uncovered incriminating materials during a raid at their operational base. Detailed statements obtained from both victims and suspects led to the exposure of a wider transnational human trafficking and internet fraud network. The rescued victims were subsequently handed over to the Ghana High Commission in Abuja for safe repatriation and reintegration, with the assurance of continued consular and welfare support in line with international best practices.”
In a related development, Adejobi said, the INTERPOL NCB received a distress request on June 17, 2025, at approximately 2:13 p.m., about four Ghanaian nationals who were allegedly trafficked into Nigeria by a 39-year-old female suspect named Achiaa Grace Afrifa.
The results of police investigations showed that Afrifa defrauded her victims of 126,000 Ghanaian Cedis by pretending to get them the jobs they wanted.
“Acting swiftly on intelligence, operatives tracked and arrested the suspect on the 18th of June 2025 at No.1 Ikot Ebido Street, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. During the operation, 15 victims were rescued from her custody.”he said
According to the police spokesperson, the seven suspects who were taken into custody during the two operations will be arraigned in court after the ongoing investigations are finished. He added that the Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantling trafficking syndicates, combating cybercrime, and protecting vulnerable populations from exploitation.
