The Ghana Immigration Service arrested 50 Nigerians on Thursday for alleged cyber fraud and human trafficking.
The accused and the landlord of the home where the arrests occurred were arrested following a coordinated security operation in McCarthy Hills, Ga South Municipality, Accra.
According to local Ghanaian media and a GIS statement, the raid was prompted by intelligence reports about foreign nationals illegally residing in the area, many of whom were allegedly trafficked into the country and forced to engage in online criminal activities.
M. Amoako-Atta, Assistant Commissioner of Immigration and Head of Public Affairs at the GIS, confirmed the operation and stated that the arrest was based on actionable intelligence.
He stated, “The Ghana Immigration Service in the early hours of today, July 24, 2025, conducted a special operation at McCarthy Hills in the Ga South Municipality.
“This operation follows intelligence gathered on the illegal stay of some foreign nationals in the area, some of whom were trafficked into the country and forced into cyber fraud by their facilitators.”
The raid, which involved other national security agencies, resulted in the arrest of scores of people, including the landlord who was reportedly sheltering them.
Amoako-Atta stated that investigations are ongoing. “The suspects are currently being screened, and further updates will be provided as the situation develops,” added the official.
Thursday’s development comes amid a nationwide crackdown on cybercrime and trafficking syndicates operating in residential communities across Ghana.
In April 2025, a joint team of the Economic and Organised Crime Office, the Ghana Police Service, and other security agencies conducted a similar raid in Oyarifa, Ga East Municipality.
That operation resulted in the arrest of 219 foreign nationals, including juveniles, and revealed a massive cybercrime and human trafficking network.
This recent event is similarly similar to a case in 2021 in which 53 Nigerians were detained in India following an attack on the Mohan Garden Police Station in Dwarka.
The protest allegedly became violent after one of their compatriots died in a nearby hospital.
According to The Indian Express, Assistant Sub-Inspector Narendra Kumar was forced to fire three warning shots after approximately 30 Nigerians reportedly stormed the police station and threatened officers on duty.
Following Thursday’s search, which resulted in the arrest of over 50 Nigerians for alleged cyber fraud and human trafficking, Ghanaians took to social media to express their alarm about the increased influx of Nigerians accused of engaging in illegal activities.
Many internet users urged the Ghanaian government to strengthen border security and crack down on suspected criminal elements.
Prince Nipah, a Facebook user, reacted to the arrests by criticising the Ghana Immigration Service for inadequate border policing. “Joke of a country,” he wrote.
“There are over 1,000-plus Nigerians passing by our borders every day, but you will stop Ghanaians’ cars and be asking for ID cards coming from Aflao while these same Nigerian vehicles pass by checkpoints.”
Another Ghanaian user, known as SJ World, expressed concerns about his Nigerian neighbour.
SJ World wrote, “One Nigerian neighbour that I have here, he’s always indoors. The air conditioner is on 24/7.
Hardly do you see him working. He’s always indoors smoking weed. He’s a prime suspect. I wonder the type of work he does.”
Ali Hassan, a Ghanaian, questioned the increased migration of Nigerians to Ghana, asking, “Why are Nigerians coming into Ghana? Is there a war in Nigeria?
Meanwhile, another user, Akubila Anabelle, chastised immigration officials for reportedly failing to thoroughly screen suspects before arrival.
“How did they manage to enter this country?” she queried. “It is the same immigration service that allowed them in.
“An investigation must be made on how they managed to enter, where they passed through, and whether there were immigration officers there or not,” she added.
