The Nigeria Police Force has rescued a Ghanaian national, Sammed Iddrisu, who was trafficked into the country under the pretext of processing travel documents for migration to Europe.
According to a statement from the Force Headquarters in Abuja, the rescue operation was carried out on 27 June by operatives of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command in collaboration with the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja. The action followed intelligence from INTERPOL NCB Accra, Ghana, received on 16 June.
Investigations revealed that the victim’s father, Mr Nartey Louda, had paid GHC 55,000 to a suspected trafficker, identified as Attah, who falsely promised to secure a French visa and related travel documents for his son. Acting on the bogus arrangement, Sammed travelled to Abuja on 25 June, expecting to receive the promised documents.
Instead, he was unlawfully detained and coerced into online criminal activities linked to QNET, a pyramid scheme posing as an e-commerce business. Authorities said the syndicate had similarly lured other victims, one of whom escaped and reported the incident to Ghanaian authorities, prompting international cooperation.
Following swift surveillance and intelligence work, police rescued Sammed and have since commenced reintegration procedures. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend those behind the trafficking operation.
The Nigeria Police has urged the public to be wary of fraudulent travel offers, advising individuals to verify such claims through official diplomatic channels. The Force also encouraged citizens to report suspicious activities to law enforcement agencies.
