76 Ghanaians who were trafficked to Nigeria through fraud have now been rescued, the Ghanaian police reported. The victims were lured with false promises, such as football contracts with top foreign teams or other job placements.

Upon arrival in Nigeria, they were detained, and their mobile phones and identification documents were confiscated. They were then forced to contact their families and demand up to the equivalent of 1,000 USD for alleged training or other fees. The traffickers are said to have also used the victims’ contact lists for further scams.

So far, seven Ghanaian suspects have been arrested on suspicion of human trafficking. According to Lydia Yaako Donkor, head of the Ghanaian Criminal Police, the rescue operation was carried out in close cooperation with Interpol and Nigerian authorities.

Donkor issued a strong warning against accepting supposedly lucrative job offers or educational opportunities abroad without proper verification. Such cases, where people are lured with false job promises, are unfortunately common in both Ghana and Nigeria. The police continue their efforts to arrest all masterminds behind the fraud.