Ghana has repatriated 120 Nigerian nationals following raids on suspected cybercrime centres in the Greater Accra Region, where authorities say people were trafficked and exploited in online fraud operations.
The operation, known as Operation Cyberhunt or Operation Blackout, involved Ghanaian security agencies working with international partners, including the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, announced the repatriation on Tuesday, October 13, thanking the Ghana Air Force and Ministry of Defence for facilitating the return of the Nigerians.
Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority (CSA) said the operation was planned, coordinated and led by Ghanaian authorities, with international partners providing support and intelligence.
Eight Suspects Arrested as Authorities Rescue 120 People
According to the CSA, security raids in the Greater Accra Region led to the arrest of eight suspects and the rescue of 120 people believed to have been trafficked and exploited in cybercrime activities.
The authority said intelligence received in August pointed to suspected organised online fraud, including romance scams, allegedly operating from residential properties in the region.
During the raids, investigators seized 136 mobile phones, 130 laptops, internet connectivity devices and four vehicles. One of the vehicles was reportedly stolen from Canada. Authorities also recovered jewellery and 10 Nigerian passports.
George said the eight suspects were being processed for prosecution. However, he did not disclose their identities or the specific charges they could face.
Investigations into the suspects and the seized equipment are continuing, according to the CSA.
Nigeria and Ghana Report Different Repatriation Figures
The operation has raised questions over the number of Nigerians rescued, repatriated and received back home, following discrepancies in figures released by authorities in both countries.
While George announced that 120 Nigerians had been returned, Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said on October 12 that it had received 105 Nigerians rescued from the Ghana operation.
NAPTIP’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Vincent Adekoye, gave the figure after an earlier count of 119 people rescued by Ghanaian authorities.
The authorities have not publicly explained the difference between the number initially reported as rescued, those repatriated and the number received in Nigeria.
