No fewer than 50 Nigerians were arrested on Thursday by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) over alleged involvement in cyberfraud and human trafficking activities.
The arrests were made during a coordinated security operation at McCarthy Hills in the Ga South Municipality of Accra. The landlord of the property where the suspects were staying was also taken into custody.
The GIS said the raid followed intelligence reports about foreign nationals unlawfully residing in the area, many of whom were reportedly trafficked into Ghana and coerced into online criminal activities.
Confirming the operation, the Head of Public Affairs of the GIS, Assistant Commissioner of Immigration M. Amoako-Atta, said the arrests were based on actionable intelligence.
“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,” he stated. “Some of the suspects were trafficked into the country and forced into cyber fraud by their facilitators.”
The operation, which involved other national security agencies, is part of Ghana’s broader crackdown on cybercrime and trafficking networks that exploit residential communities.
The suspects are currently being screened, and investigations are ongoing, Amoako-Atta added.
This latest operation comes months after a similar raid in April 2025 at Oyarifa in the Ga East Municipality, where 219 foreign nationals — including minors — were arrested in a major anti-cybercrime sweep.
The incident has sparked widespread reactions across Ghanaian social media, where many users voiced concern over the rising number of Nigerians allegedly involved in criminal activity.
A Facebook user, Prince Nipah, criticized the GIS for what he called weak enforcement at the borders, writing, “There are over 1,000 Nigerians passing by our borders every day, but you stop Ghanaians and ask for ID cards.”
Another user, SJ World, shared suspicions about a Nigerian neighbor who “rarely goes out” and “keeps the air conditioner on 24/7.”
Some commentators, including Ali Hassan, questioned the growing influx of Nigerians into Ghana. “Why are Nigerians rushing into Ghana? Is there a war in Nigeria?” he asked.
Akubila Anabelle called for a probe into how the suspects entered the country in the first place. “It is the same immigration service that allowed them in. There must be an investigation,” she wrote.
As investigations continue, the Ghanaian authorities have pledged to intensify operations against cross-border cybercrime and human trafficking syndicates.
