INTERPOL NCB Abuja rescues 46 Ghanaian victims of human trafficking in Nigeria, arresting 7 suspects linked to QNET fraud network

The Nigeria Police Force, through its INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Abuja, has recorded a major breakthrough in its fight against transnational crime with the rescue of 46 trafficked victims and arrest of seven suspects linked to a cross-border human trafficking and cyber fraud ring.

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Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, said the victims—Ghanaian nationals—were deceived with promises of employment opportunities in Europe but were later forced into online scam operations connected to the QNET network.

“In a coordinated operation based on intelligence from INTERPOL NCB Accra, operatives successfully rescued 31 victims trafficked from Ghana to Nigeria. They were coerced into fraudulent internet marketing under false pretences,” Adejobi said.

One of the victims, Samuel Opoku, was reportedly tricked in August 2024 by a compatriot, George Tenkron, who falsely promised him a job in Spain.

Instead, Opoku was directed to Nigeria, where he became trapped in QNET’s fraudulent operations.

He had paid GHC 30,000 to one Attah Amankwaah, a Ghanaian living in Nigeria and a key figure in the trafficking syndicate.

Adejobi added, “This syndicate specialises in manipulating and confining victims into exploitative online marketing scams through deception, coercion, and false financial obligations.”

This operation exposed a transnational network of human trafficking and online fraud exploiting vulnerable individuals under false pretences.

Following actionable intelligence, police operatives raided the group’s operational base and arrested six suspects, including Amankwaah.

Incriminating materials were recovered, and both victim and suspect statements pointed to a wider international trafficking and internet fraud network.

The 31 rescued victims have since been handed over to the Ghana High Commission in Abuja for safe repatriation and reintegration, in line with global consular and welfare protocols.

In a separate but related operation, INTERPOL NCB Abuja on 17 June 2025 received a distress alert about four Ghanaian nationals trafficked to Nigeria by one Achiaa Afrifa, a 39-year-old woman.

Investigations revealed that Afrifa fraudulently collected GHC 126,000 from the victims, claiming she could secure them employment.

Acting swiftly, officers tracked her to No. 1 Ikot Ebido Street in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and arrested her on 18 June 2025. Fifteen more victims were rescued during the operation.

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“These operations highlight the unwavering commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to dismantling transnational criminal syndicates and protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation,” Adejobi said.