The Nigeria Police Force said it rescued a 24-year-old Ghanaian national who was trafficked into Nigeria with fake promise that he would obtain a Canadian visa.
The force, in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Sunday, said it also arrested five suspects in a cross-border operation in Ogun State.
According to the statement, officers of INTERPOL Annex, FCID Alagbon, Lagos, carried out the operation in Ofada, Ogun State, following a request for assistance from the National Central Bureau Accra on September 15.
“The Nigeria Police Force, in its sustained efforts to combat crimes, has successfully rescued a victim of human trafficking, a 24-year-old Ghanaian national, and arrested five suspects, including both Ghanaian and Nigerian nationals, in a well-coordinated operation by operatives of INTERPOL Annex, FCID Alagbon, Lagos, in Ofada, Ogun State,” the statement partly read.
According to Hundeyin, preliminary investigation revealed that the victim and his father were allegedly trafficked into Nigeria in July 2025 by one Hassana Abban, a 25-year-old Ghanaian woman residing in Ofada, under the guise of helping them travel to Canada.
“The suspect, investigations reveal, obtained forty thousand (40,000) Cedis, approximately four million, nine hundred and sixty thousand (N4,960,000) Naira, for the supposed travel arrangements,” He added
The Force PPRO also stated that upon arrival in Nigeria, their Ghanaian passports and mobile phones were seized, and they were forced into activities linked to fraudulent online trading platforms.
He continued “Following the assistance request from Interpol Accra, a special team of police operatives from INTERPOL Annex, FCID Alagbon, Lagos investigated the victims’ location, leading to their rescue on 16th September 2025 in Ogun State.
“The operation also resulted in the arrest of the principal suspect, Hassana Abban, alongside four accomplices.
Naming the accomplices, Hundeyin mentioned Odubuasi David, a Nigerian; Yahaya Salifu, a Ghanaian; Sherifa Haruna, a Ghanaian; and Ebenezer Ofosu, also a Ghanaian.
According to the statement “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 Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, commended the professionalism of the officers, reiterating the force’s commitment to regional cooperation in combating human trafficking and transnational crimes, assuring the general public and international partners alike that no criminal syndicate operating across borders will escape the long arm of the law.
