Nigeria Hails Ghana on 219 Nigerians Rescue, Pledges Collaboration to Fight Organized Crimes. By Raymond Enoch
The Federal Government of Nigeria has commended Ghanaian authorities for rescuing 219 young Nigerians trafficked and forced into cybercrime operations in Ghana, describing the intervention as a model for regional cooperation in combating transnational organized crime.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made this comments during her visit to Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) in Accra, where she met with the victims and held a closed-door meeting with EOCO’s Executive Director, Mr. Bashiru Dapilah.
It would be noted that Her Excellency Mrs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu who was in Ghana for the official launch of the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers on the withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, described as callous and inhuman, the exploitation of innocent young people.
She said that trafficking was modern slavery, obnoxious and man’s inhumanity to man.
Describing their situation she said that “These young men were locked in 25 rooms and used as tools in cybercriminal syndicates. Some bore physical scars of abuse, including one with broken legs for allegedly not surrendering all proceeds,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu revealed, stressing the gravity of their ordeal.
Describing the incident as “modern slavery,” the Minister warned Nigerian youths to be cautious of enticing overseas job offers, which may turn out to be traps set by traffickers. She emphasized the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to equip youth with skills and technical education to prevent such vulnerabilities.
The rescue came after a sting operation informed by intelligence reports. EOCO Director Dapilah confirmed that both Nigerian and Ghanaian perpetrators are being investigated, and that the estate owner where the victims were confined is under arrest.
“We’re not treating this as a Nigerian crime. There was local collaboration, and we’re pursuing full prosecution,” Dapilah said. He called for deeper Nigeria-Ghana cooperation to dismantle transnational trafficking networks.
The Minister lauded EOCO for treating the victims with dignity and confirmed that 231 Nigerians, including others rescued from separate trafficking incidents, will return to Nigeria on Friday.
Ambassador Dayo Adeoye of the Nigerian High Commission reiterated the need for aggressive public awareness campaigns to curb trafficking, noting that over three million Nigerians live legally and contribute meaningfully in Ghana.
The Nigerian government reaffirmed its commitment to citizen-focused diplomacy and pledged closer collaboration with Ghanaian agencies like EOCO, as well as domestic bodies like NAPTIP and the EFCC, to stem the tide of organised crime across West Africa
