The Ondo State Police Command has rescued 40 Ghanaian nationals who were victims of human trafficking in Akure, the state capital.
According to a statement released on Saturday, July 5, 2025, by the command’s spokesperson, Ayanlade Olusola, the police also arrested three individuals linked to a transnational trafficking syndicate.
The suspects—identified as Hayford Nyamekye, Awine Alex, and Kojo Felix—allegedly lured the victims from neighbouring West African countries with false promises of high-paying jobs and visa assistance to Canada and various European countries.
The operation was executed by operatives of the Tactical Intelligence Response Squad (TIRS) following a formal petition from the Interpol Liaison Office at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
“One of the victims, David Angerinya, was rescued during the operation, and preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects had deceived many others with similar promises,” the police spokesperson stated.
According to the statement, “The 40 rescued Ghanaian nationals were found without valid travel documents or with expired ones.”
Olusola added that the investigation was triggered by a report forwarded through the Interpol Liaison Office. “The operation followed a formal petition forwarded through the Interpol Liaison Office, Force Headquarters Abuja, requesting urgent police intervention over a case of transnational human trafficking involving a Ghanaian citizen allegedly lured to Nigeria in 2024 with the promise of employment by an unidentified associate.”
He further said: “Acting swiftly on the report, detectives from the Tactical Intelligence Response Squad, led by DSP Lekan Alabi, commenced a targeted investigation and subsequently apprehended three principal suspects.”
“All arrested suspects are currently in police custody and are cooperating with ongoing investigations,” he said.
Olusola also disclosed that the police are now pursuing those who owned or managed the buildings used to harbour the victims. “Furthermore, efforts are ongoing to apprehend the owners and caretakers of the buildings where the victims were harboured, as they may have had knowledge of or directly facilitated the illegal activities of the syndicate.”
