Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced the successful repatriation of 202 Ghanaians who were victims of human trafficking in Nigeria.
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Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, July 23, the Minister linked the trafficking to the Q-Net scam network, which has been operating across the West African sub-region.
“Our missions in Nigeria have repatriated 78 citizens through Abuja and 124 via Lagos,” Mr. Ablakwa reported.
He further revealed a disturbing development: over 500 Ghanaians are allegedly being held against their will in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, as part of the same trafficking scheme.
According to the Minister, some of the ringleaders in Côte d’Ivoire are Ghanaians who were once victims of the Q-Net scam and are now perpetuating the scheme to recover financial losses.
Victims were reportedly deceived with false promises of travel to France and other European countries for high-paying jobs, only to be stranded in Nigeria or Côte d’Ivoire, where visa processing was falsely claimed to be faster.
Ablakwa assured Parliament that intensified efforts involving local and international security agencies are underway to break up the trafficking networks and ensure the safe return of detained citizens.
“This is a deeply troubling trend,” he stressed, calling for sustained action and vigilance.
