According to the Force Headquarters, the rescue was carried out by operatives of INTERPOL Annex, FCID Alagbon, Lagos, in Ofada, Ogun State, following a formal request for assistance received from the National Central Bureau (NCB) Accra on September 15, 2025.
The Nigeria Police Force has rescued a 24-year-old Ghanaian national from a human trafficking syndicate and arrested five suspects, including both Ghanaian and Nigerian nationals, in a coordinated operation in Ogun State.
Police said preliminary investigations revealed that the victim and his father were trafficked into Nigeria in July 2025 by one Hassana Abban, a 25-year-old Ghanaian woman residing in Ofada, under the guise of facilitating their travel to Canada.
Abban allegedly obtained forty thousand (40,000) Cedis, approximately ₦4.96 million, for the supposed travel arrangements, a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, on Sunday, stated.
Upon their arrival in Nigeria, their Ghanaian international passports and mobile phones were seized, and they were coerced into activities suspected to be fraudulent online trading platforms,” the police said.
Following intelligence sharing with Interpol Accra, operatives tracked the victims’ location and rescued them on September 16, 2025.
The operation also led to the arrest of the principal suspect, Hassana Abban, and four accomplices: Odubuasi David, a Nigerian national; Yahaya Salifu, a Ghanaian national; Sherifa Haruna, a Ghanaian national; and Ebenezer Ofosu, a Ghanaian national.
All five suspects are currently in custody and further investigations are ongoing. The rescued victims have since been reunited with their family back in Ghana,” the police confirmed.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the operatives’ professionalism and stressed the importance of regional cooperation in tackling cross-border crimes.
He said the Nigeria Police Force remains committed to working with international partners to dismantle trafficking syndicates, adding that “no criminal syndicate operating across borders will escape the long arm of the law.”