The Nigeria Police Force has rescued a 24-year-old Ghanaian national who was trafficked into the country and arrested five suspects in a coordinated cross-border operation in Ogun State.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, noting that operatives of the INTERPOL Annex, FCID Alagbon, Lagos, carried out the rescue mission in Ofada following a request for assistance from the National Central Bureau in Accra on September 15.
“The Nigeria Police Force, in its sustained efforts to combat crimes, has successfully rescued a victim of human trafficking, a 24-year-old Ghanaian national, and arrested five suspects, including both Ghanaian and Nigerian nationals, in a well-coordinated operation,” Hundeyin stated.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim and his father were allegedly trafficked into Nigeria in July 2025 by Hassana Abban, a 25-year-old Ghanaian woman living in Ofada, who deceived them with a promise of helping them travel to Canada.
“The suspect obtained 40,000 Cedis (about ₦4.96 million) under the pretence of arranging travel,” Hundeyin said. Upon arrival, their passports and phones were seized, and they were forced into fraudulent online trading activities.
Following the tip-off from Interpol Accra, a special police team located the victims and rescued them on 16 September 2025. The operation also led to the arrest of the principal suspect and four accomplices:
-
Odubuasi David (Nigerian)
-
Yahaya Salifu (Ghanaian)
-
Sherifa Haruna (Ghanaian)
-
Ebenezer Ofosu (Ghanaian)
All five suspects are currently in police custody, while further investigations continue. The victims have since been reunited with their family in Ghana.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, praised the officers for their professionalism and reaffirmed the force’s commitment to regional cooperation against human trafficking and transnational crimes, stressing that no cross-border criminal syndicate will evade justice.