Civil Defence Nabs 38 Ghanaians Over Alleged Human Trafficking

Operatives of the Ekiti State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have arrested 38 Ghanaians for alleged irregular migration and human trafficking.

The suspects, the command said, were arrested in the Onala area along Afao Road in Aso, Ekiti State, the Ekiti State capital.

The state NSCDC commandant, Mr Mathew Toma, while parading the suspects to newsmen at the Command’s headquarters in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, said they fraudulently collect money from their unsuspecting victims to help them secure jobs abroad.

Some of the countries, the victims brought into Nigeria from Ghana, were promised to secure visas and jobs, including Australia and Malaysia.

The syndicate was also said to be operating in Oyo, Lagos, Ondo, and other yet-to-be-identified states in the country.

Toma said, “There have been complaints from Ekiti people about the influx of illegal immigrants into the state.

“In this respect, the command embarked on routine surveillance and investigation, which led to the arrest of 38 Ghanaians who were brought into the country illegally under the pretence of securing jobs for them abroad.

“The victims were deceived into paying between $1,000 and $2,000 to move from Ghana to Nigeria.

On arrival in Nigeria, they were locked and kept under seclusion from people and were forced to bring in other victims from Ghana to Nigeria to end the commission”.

One of the victims, who escaped from the secluded place where they were kept to report the matter to the security agents, said someone told his brother that he had a job opportunity for him in Australia to come and work there.

He said, “They collected $1,000 while some people even paid $2,000. They took us to a camp and introduced us to a business, but I explained to them that I wouldn’t do the business because I wanted to return home. But some people who were in the business were pretending that they loved the business, and also escaped to Ghana”.