Ghana Immigration Service officers have arrested 93 Nigerian nationals and freed 73 victims of torture and abuse following an intelligence-led raid on a suspected internet fraud network operating out of a residential estate in Accra.
The operation, which targeted six houses at the DEVTRACO Estate, was carried out by the Service’s National Operations Unit under the supervision of Deputy Superintendent of Immigration Newman Akuffo. A statement dated March 9, 2026 confirmed the details of the exercise.
Of the 93 persons taken into custody, 91 are male and two are female. All face potential charges related to alleged involvement in internet fraud and immigration violations. Investigators said some of the 73 victims had been subjected to torture and physical abuse by the suspects.
Items recovered from the premises included 82 laptops, 57 mobile phones, 17 television sets, counterfeit United States dollar notes, and fake gold bars, along with several household appliances believed to have been used to support the fraudulent operations.
Preliminary investigations indicate that some suspects entered Ghana through unauthorised border crossings, while others allegedly overstayed the 90-day visa-free period available to citizens of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member countries.
The 73 rescued victims have since been repatriated to Nigeria. Investigations are continuing at the Ghana Immigration Service’s National Headquarters to determine the full scale of the criminal network.
The Comptroller-General of Immigration used the occasion to remind all foreign nationals in Ghana to comply with the country’s immigration and criminal laws. The Human Trafficking Act, 2005 criminalises the recruitment, transportation, or harbouring of individuals through force, fraud, or abuse for purposes of exploitation, carrying penalties of between five and twenty years in prison. Entering the country through unauthorised routes or overstaying a valid visa under the Immigration Act, 2000 is also a criminal offence punishable by fines or prison terms of between three months and two years.
