Ghanaian police said about 76 Ghanaians who were trafficked to Nigeria under fraudulent recruitment schemes have been rescued.
The victims, mainly young people, are attracted to assist with a commitment to work with top foreign teams, football contracts or visas for foreign jobs.
Police said their travel documents and cell phones were seized upon arrival and in a bad situation, they were placed in a crowded room.
The victim was forced to contact his family to pay for training or promotion costs, asking for approximately $1,000 (£727). The fraud planners allegedly used the victim’s phone contact list to deceive their friends and relatives.
Seven Ghanaian suspects related to trafficking have been arrested.
Lydia Yaako Donkor, head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said at a press conference that the rescue operation was conducted in collaboration with Interpol and Nigerian law enforcement agencies.
Between May 19 and June 27 this year, the victims were rescued from different states in Nigeria and have not been repatriated to reunite with their families in Ghana.
CID bosses warn families to verify their job and education opportunities before taking away profitable job and education opportunities.
She said that once the victims convinced the scam, they are usually directed to go along the way to an unfamiliar country.
Later, they were transferred to the “holding camp” – rented rooms where 40 people were forced to live in unqualified conditions. Ms. Tangke said that under pressure, they were forced to recruit others and even deceive their family and friends.
“The psychological and financial harm caused to these victims and their families is devastating,” she said, adding that in many cases, the victims are “malnutrition and psychological impact” that they cannot return to their normal lives.
QNET is said to be a global lifestyle and health marketing company linked to recruitment scams, which has been banned from operating in Ghana since 2022 for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme.
The company has repeatedly denied participating in fraudulent activities.
In Ghana and Nigeria, cases of false job commitments and entry into Internet fraud schemes are not uncommon.
Police said efforts are being made to arrest all the people behind the scam.
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