The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has said that it rescued 105 Nigerians in a coordinated operation against cybercrime syndicates in Ghana.
A statement on Monday by the agency’s spokesperson, Vincent Adekoye, said the rescue operation was in tandem with President Bola Tinubu’s citizen-focused policies.
Adekoye said the operation was coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) after the Cyber Security Authority of Ghana contacted NAPTIP.
He said NAPTIP led the participating Nigerian Security and Law Enforcement agencies, including the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI).
Others are the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana, and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
He said that the development was hailed by a cross-section of stakeholders, including civil society organisations, and collaborating international organisations.
Adekoye said the development underscored the commitment of the federal government of Nigeria to the safety of Nigerians, especially victims of human trafficking and irregular migration.
He said the Ghanaian government noted that 119 Nigerians were rescued during the operation, of which 105 were repatriated, while the remaining 14 are being processed.
The statement said the director-general of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu-Bello, while receiving the survivors on behalf of the federal government, welcomed the returnees and assured them of their safety.
She encouraged them to remain calm while the federal government carries out profiling and reintegration processes, adding that NAPTIP’s engagement with the returnees reflected the agency’s commitment to protecting their dignity.
Adamu-Bello said NAPTIP was committed to safeguarding their welfare and ensuring that each person received assistance suited to their individual circumstances.
She expressed NAPTIP’s appreciation to the Ghanaian authorities, particularly the Cyber Security Authority of Ghana, Ghana Immigration Service, and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) for its operational support.
