Nationwide — Police in Ghana have rescued 57 Nigerians who were trafficked to Accra and forced to work in online romance scams. Five people were arrested during the raid, which exposed a large human trafficking and cybercrime operation.
Police raided a building in a suburb of Accra after receiving a tip-off. Inside, they found the victims — aged 18 to 26 — who had been held against their will and made to manage fake online relationships used to defraud people abroad.
According to WRAL, authorities seized 77 laptops, 38 mobile phones, two cars, three televisions, and other internet-enabled devices believed to have been used in the crimes. Police said the victims were lured from Nigeria with promises of high-paying jobs in Ghana, only to be trapped and exploited.
“Upon arrival, the victims, aged between 18 and 26 years, were coerced into engaging in online romance scams and other heinous activities,” police said in a statement. All 57 Nigerians are now receiving care and support as authorities work on plans for their safe return.
Human trafficking and cyber fraud remain widespread in Ghana and across West Africa despite ongoing crackdowns. The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection reported 79 prosecutions and 54 convictions for trafficking-related crimes between 2023 and 2024.
This latest operation follows a region-wide effort to combat online fraud. In September, Interpol coordinated a crackdown across 14 African countries, leading to 260 arrests connected to online scams and extortion that targeted more than 1,400 victims and caused losses of nearly $2.8 million.
During that same operation, Ghanaian police arrested 68 suspects accused of using fake identities and explicit videos to blackmail victims in romance and sextortion schemes.