The Ghana Police Service (GPS) has arrested 30 suspect, comprising 26 Nigerian nationals and four Ghanaians in a series of intelligence-led operations targeting cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking and the illegal trade in firearms and ammunition across Greater Accra and the Ashanti Region.
The operations resulted in the rescue of 33 victims of human trafficking, all Nigerian nationals, who had allegedly been lured into Ghana under false pretenses and forced to engage in cyber-enabled fraudulent activities.
Addressing a press briefing in Accra today (July 21), the Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Yaako Donkor, said the arrests followed intelligence-led operations carried out by the CID and the Tema Regional Police Command between July 3 and July 15, 2026.
She said the operations dismantled criminal networks involved in cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking and illicit firearms trafficking, while large quantities of electronic devices, firearms and ammunition were seized.
She said the operations formed part of the GPS sustained efforts to dismantle organised criminal networks involved in cybercrime, human trafficking and the illicit trade in firearms.
Mataheko-Afienya Operation
COP Donkor said the first operation was carried out on July 3 by the Tema Regional Police Intelligence Directorate at Mataheko-Afienya, where 10 suspects were arrested from an apartment believed to have served as the operational base of a cybercrime syndicate.
The suspects, she said, were Collins Francis Olayi Ojo, Matthew Balogun, Jahid Bello, Abdul Rahman Nufizi, Talent Sinivie, Preye Morrison, Lawal Abdul Aziz, David Ogobbona, Gift Prince and Kingsley Honest.
Preliminary investigations established that Collins Francis Olayi Ojo allegedly coordinated the group’s activities and facilitated the movement of nine Nigerian nationals into the country by road before forcing them to engage in cyber-enabled fraud.
“Nine victims were rescued and moved to a safe location. The police also recovered 28 laptop computers and nine mobile phones from the premises for forensic examination,” COP Donkor said.
COP Donkor said Olayi Ojo had been arraigned before the Accra High Court and remanded into police custody, while investigations continued to identify and arrest other persons connected with the syndicate.
Fafa Community
In a second intelligence-led operation conducted on July 7 at Fafa Community, she said police arrested 11 suspects and recovered 14 laptop computers with accessories and 12 smartphones believed to have been used in cybercrime.
The suspects, victims and exhibits she said, were subsequently handed over to the CID Cybercrime Unit for further investigations.
COP Donkor said initial investigations showed that six of those arrested had been trafficked from Nigeria into Ghana under false pretences and exploited in cyber-enabled fraud.
She said the victims were provided with protection, medical screening and other support before being repatriated to Nigeria.
“Further investigations, however, revealed that two of the individuals initially identified as victims, Godstime Terry, 34, and Wilson Makuo, 21, were allegedly key coordinators of the syndicate. Another suspect, identified only as Jerry, who allegedly played a leading role in trafficking the victims into Ghana, remained at large,” COP Donkor said.
She said the suspects had since been remanded into police custody by the Circuit Court, while the recovered electronic devices were undergoing forensic examination.
Kwabenya Rescue
She said another rescue operation was conducted on July 12 at Kwabenya by the CID Cybercrime Unit in collaboration with the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit and the CID Headquarters Operations Unit led to the arrest of five Nigerian nationals, Chigozie Azubuike, 35, Edwin Onyema, 24, Kingsley Nwachukwu, 29, Henry Ebuke, 32, and Harrison Godwin, 26.
“They were arrested on allegations of human trafficking and cyber-enabled criminal activities. Police recovered 52 assorted mobile phones and several wireless internet devices believed to have been used in cybercrime,” she said.
COP Donkor said intelligence received on July 11 suggested that several young Nigerians had been trafficked into Ghana and confined in a residential property at Kwabenya, where they were being compelled to engage in online fraud.
When officers searched the three-bedroom house, she said they found one bedroom locked.
According to her, Azubuike claimed the room belonged to his elder brother who was away.
“The officers found the explanation suspicious and forced entry. Inside the room, police found 22 young Nigerian nationals,” she said.
She said preliminary investigations established that 18 of them, aged between 15 and 24, were victims of human trafficking.
She said the victims had been instructed by Azubuike, whom they referred to as their self-styled “Chairman”, to hide from the police.
She revealed that the victims had since been placed in a safe location under the care of the appropriate authorities while the five suspects were remanded into police custody by Accra Circuit Court 7 on July 16 to assist investigations.
Illegal Firearms
In a separate operation in the Ashanti Region, COP Donkor says the CID Anti-Armed Robbery Unit arrested two businessmen over the alleged illegal sale of firearms and ammunition.
The arrests followed intelligence gathered earlier this year that weapons were being sold to criminal elements. Christopher Kuupieni, 63, a businessman from Abuakwa Nana Ketewa, was arrested on July 15.
During interrogation, she said he admitted engaging in the illegal trade and identified Kwabena Tawiah, 56, of Asofia Kokoben, as his supplier.
“A subsequent search led to the recovery of a Malik pistol, a Walther PK 380 pistol with a magazine, a Smith and Wesson pistol with a magazine, a Stoeger STR Series pistol with a magazine, a Taurus G2C pistol loaded with five rounds of live 9mm ammunition, three additional pistol magazines, 100 rounds of live 9mm ammunition and 20 rounds of .380 Auto PPU live ammunition,” she disclosed.
According to COP Donkor, Tawiah admitted operating the business without a licence for the past 10 years and disclosed that he had supplied firearms to several clients across the country without documentation.
The two suspects remain in police custody while investigations continue to identify their accomplices and the sources of the firearms.
Public Support
COP Donkor commended the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno, for his leadership and praised officers who participated in the operations.
She also expressed appreciation to members of the public for providing credible intelligence that supported the investigations.
She urged citizens to continue reporting suspicious activities to the nearest police station or through the police emergency numbers 191 and 18555.
