Seventy-six Ghanaians, mostly young men, have been rescued in Nigeria after falling victim to a trafficking ring that lured them with fake promises of football contracts and overseas jobs, Ghanaian police announced.
The victims were deceived into believing they would join prestigious football academies or receive international job placements. Upon arrival in Nigeria, their phones and travel documents were confiscated, and they were crammed into overcrowded, substandard housing, police said.
Traffickers allegedly forced them to call family members to solicit around $1,000 under the pretext of training or visa fees. Victims’ contact lists were also exploited to scam relatives and friends.
Seven Ghanaian nationals have been arrested in connection with the scheme. Lydia Yaako Donkor, head of Ghana’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said the rescue operation was carried out in partnership with Interpol and Nigerian authorities. Victims were found in multiple Nigerian states between May 19 and June 27 and are awaiting repatriation.
CID officials warned families to scrutinize job and educational opportunities abroad, highlighting the dangers of overland travel to unfamiliar destinations under false pretenses.
Many victims were held in so-called “holding camps” — rooms packed with up to 40 people — where they were pressured to recruit others, often deceiving their own loved ones. Donkor described the resulting psychological and economic damage as “devastating.”
A company linked to the scam, QNET, has been banned in Ghana since 2022 for allegedly operating a Ponzi scheme, though it denies involvement in fraud.
Police say the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected.