The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has received 231 Nigerian victims of human trafficking rescued in Ghana, as the agency pledged to intensify efforts to dismantle cross-border trafficking syndicates operating in the West African sub-region.
The victims, comprised 227 males and four females between the ages of 15 and 18, were rescued by the Ghanaian Economic and Organized Crimes Office (EOCO) in collaboration with NAPTIP and handed over to the agency at its Lagos Zonal Command Office in Ikeja.
In a letter to NAPTIP, the Executive Director of EOCO, Abdulai Bashiru Dapilah, disclosed that the victims were discovered during a raid on Kumsark Estate in Oyarifa, a suburb of Accra. He noted that approximately 30 of the 50 houses in the estate were occupied by suspected traffickers and their victims, with many of the victims reportedly engaged in prohibited cybercrimes and other exploitative activities.
While receiving the victims on behalf of the Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, the Lagos State Commander of NAPTIP, Mrs. Comfort Agboko, expressed deep concern over the rising trend of trafficking for cybercrime and sexual exploitation in the region.
“This disturbing trend is gradually turning Ghana and neighbouring countries into trafficking hubs, especially for cybercrime.
“We are already engaging with sister law enforcement agencies in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, The Gambia, and others to restrategize and dismantle these emerging transnational criminal networks.”she said.
She revealed that NAPTIP has commenced profiling the returnees to assess their health status, medical needs, and vocational interests as part of its victim support and rehabilitation programme.
Mrs. Agboko emphasized that the relocation of these syndicates to Ghana may be linked to the agency’s intensified crackdown on their operations within Nigeria. “Through the work of our Cybercrime Response Team, we have arrested several suspects in recent months. We believe this pressure forced them to move operations outside Nigeria. But with the support of our partners, including EOCO and the Nigeria Immigration Service, we will smoke them out.”
She also assured that any suspects among the rescued individuals would be investigated and prosecuted in line with the provisions of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003 (as amended in 2015).
The NAPTIP boss expressed appreciation to EOCO Ghana, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other stakeholders for their roles in ensuring the safe return of the victims.
