The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has taken custody of 105 Nigerians repatriated following a coordinated cross-border crackdown on illicit cybercrime operations in neighboring Ghana.
​The repatriation announcement was detailed in an official statement released in Abuja on Monday, October 12, 2026, by Vincent Adekoye, Head of the Press and Public Relations Unit at NAPTIP.
​The inter-agency intervention was triggered by intelligence reports from Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority (CSA), prompting swift action coordinated through Nigeria’s Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
​A total of 119 Nigerian nationals were initially freed by Ghanaian security agencies during targeted raids on internet fraud hubs across Ghana. While 105 individuals were repatriated in the first phase, the remaining 14 Nigerians are undergoing administrative and legal processing in Ghana prior to their return.
​NAPTIP led the Nigerian task force that received the returnees, collaborating with partner security and intelligence agencies including Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI).
​According to NAPTIP spokesperson Vincent Adekoye, all 105 returnees are undergoing rigorous profiling and screening at agency facilities. The exercise aims to differentiate human trafficking victims, who were lured abroad under false pretenses, from voluntary participants in cybercrime syndicates.
​”Screening is ongoing to determine whether the returnees were victims of trafficking or willing participants, which will inform subsequent protection, rehabilitation, and investigative actions,” Adekoye stated.
​Those identified as victims will receive medical care, psychosocial counseling, and integration support, while suspected perpetrators will face further legal investigation.
​In light of the incident, NAPTIP issued a public warning advising young Nigerians and job seekers against unrealistic overseas employment offers.
​The agency cautioned prospective migrants to thoroughly verify job offers that feature vague descriptions, lucrative compensation without requisite qualifications, or informal recruitment arrangements, as these remain primary tactics used by human trafficking and cybercrime syndicates.
