A joint intelligence-led operation by a Ghanaian security task force and Nigerian law enforcement has uncovered a camp in Anyigba, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, where 33 Ghanaian nationals were being held.
The group 21 men and 12 women were reportedly lured to Nigeria with promises of visa processing and transit arrangements for work in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe. Investigators say some paid up to GH¢300,000 each to an organised syndicate.
Relatives in Ghana raised the alarm after the travellers repeatedly demanded additional money while making no progress on their journeys, GHOne TV journalist Peter Quao Adattor reported. Observers Times said the group was intercepted during a raid by a special Ghanaian team.
Security sources told Observers Times that, on arrival in Nigeria, the victims were moved into cramped quarters in Anyigba, their movements restricted and travel documents seized. One man, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he had closed his business in Ghana after being told Anyigba was a mandatory transit point for document processing before departure for London. “I shut down my business because I was promised a fast-track UK visa,” he said. “Instead, I was brought to Kogi State, kept in a room and pressured to call my family to send more money.”
Investigators suspect the camp is linked to fraudulent multi-level marketing and recruitment networks that operate under the guise of firms such as QNET and IGNITE. While some of those found said they had travelled to participate in network marketing, authorities say coercion and document seizure indicate human trafficking.
The rescue follows months of intelligence sharing between Ghanaian and Nigerian agencies aimed at tracking trafficking routes across West Africa. Nigerian law enforcement confirmed an investigation is under way to identify local collaborators, trace the syndicate’s finances and prosecute those responsible. Arrangements are being finalised between Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ghana High Commission in Nigeria to repatriate the 33 nationals.
Observers Times reported the Ghanaians had been staying at one of six camps in the Anyigba area. The circumstances surrounding the group’s travel and the activities at the camp remain under investigation.
Authorities have warned citizens across West Africa to be cautious of unverified travel agencies, online recruiters or cross-border job offers that demand large upfront payments.
