By Kazeem Akanbi
The Nigeria Police Force has rescued a 24-year-old Ghanaian man from human traffickers in Ogun State and arrested five suspects, including Nigerian and Ghanaian nationals.
Force spokesman CSP Benjamin Hundeyin said in a statement on Sunday that the operation was carried out by operatives of the INTERPOL Annex at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Lagos, following a request for assistance from the National Centre Bureau (NCB) in Accra on September 15, 2025.
Investigations revealed that the victim and his father were trafficked into Nigeria in July 2025 by Mrs. Hassana Abban, a 25-year-old Ghanaian woman based in Ofada, Ogun State. Abban allegedly collected 40,000 Cedis (about ₦4.96 million) from the victims under the pretext of helping them travel to Canada.
On arrival, their passports and phones were seized, and they were coerced into what police suspect was an online fraud scheme.
Abban and four accomplices Odubuasi David (Nigerian), Yahaya Salifu, Sherifa Haruna, and Ebenezer Ofosu (all Ghanaians) were arrested during the rescue operation. The victim has since been reunited with his family in Ghana.
Commending the professionalism of the operatives, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to regional collaboration against human trafficking and other transnational crimes.
“No criminal syndicate operating across borders will evade the long arm of the law,” the IGP vowed.