Police Rescue 46 Trafficked Victims, Arrest 7 Suspects

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 police also arrested seven suspects involved in the cross-border criminal activities.

Force PRO, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement that, “in a coordinated operation based on a message received from INTERPOL NCB Accra, operatives of INTERPOL NCB, successfully rescued 31 victims who had been trafficked from Ghana to Nigeria under the false pretense of securing employment opportunities in Europe. The victims, lured by deceptive promises, were later coerced into fraudulent internet marketing activities linked to the QNET network.

“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.”

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In a related development, on June 17, 2025, at about 2:13pm, the INTERPOL NCB received a distress request regarding four Ghanaian nationals reportedly trafficked into Nigeria by one Achiaa Grace Afrifa, a 39-year-old female suspect.

Police investigations revealed that Afrifa fraudulently obtained the sum of 126,000 Ghanaian Cedis from her victims under the guise of securing employment opportunities for them.

The Force PRO said: “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.”

The Police spokesman said that the seven suspects arrested in both operations are currently in police custody and will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations. He added that the Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantling trafficking syndicates, combating cybercrime, and protecting vulnerable populations from exploitation.