April 28, (THEWILL) – Chisco Transport Limited has partnered with the Ghanaian government to facilitate the return of Nigerian victims of human trafficking from Ghana to Nigeria.
As part of the rescue effort, Chisco Transport provided a fleet of luxury and mini buses that transported the Nigerian youths, who were formally received on Friday by officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) at the agency’s Lagos office.
About 231 victims, mainly male and aged between 15 and 18, were escorted to Lagos by Ghanaian officials after being rescued from a suspected human trafficking and cybercrime hub.
Confirming Chisco’s involvement, the company’s Ghana Country Head, Valentine Ogege, said the management provided air-conditioned luxury buses for the repatriation exercise.
“As the foremost passenger road transport company in Nigeria, we are proud to have provided satisfactory mobility services to the Ghanaian government. We are also happy that the rescued victims were transported to Nigerian authorities safely and without incident,” Ogege said.
Also commending the effort, Deacon Pius Etuhu, a veteran transporter and station manager at several luxury bus companies, praised Chisco for earning the confidence of the Ghanaian government and ensuring the prompt and safe return of the youths.
“What Chisco did goes beyond exemplary transport service across West Africa; it was a patriotic and diplomatic gesture — a true service to the nation and humanity,” Etuhu stated.
According to the Executive Director of Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Abdulai Bashiru Dapilah, the victims were rescued during a joint operation in Kumasi and Oyarifa, a suburb of Accra.
In a letter to NAPTIP’s Director-General titled, Request for Assistance to Screen Suspects of Human Trafficking for Possible Prosecution in Nigeria, EOCO disclosed that of approximately 50 houses at Kumsark Estate, about 30 were occupied by suspected traffickers and their victims.
“On Thursday, April 17, 2025, EOCO conducted a search operation at the estate, combing 20 houses. A total of 231 Nigerian nationals were found — 227 males and four females — all aged between 15 and 18 years,” the agency stated.
Receiving the returnees, NAPTIP Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, represented by the Lagos Zonal Commander, said the agency would strengthen cross-border collaborations with state and non-state actors to dismantle transnational trafficking networks across West Africa.
“We are deeply concerned by the growing trend of Nigerian youths being trafficked to neighbouring countries for sexual exploitation and cybercrime,” Bello said.
She added that NAPTIP had begun consultations with law enforcement agencies in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, The Gambia, and other countries to review and strengthen existing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), bilateral agreements, and legal frameworks.
“We will commence immediate profiling of the returnees to assess their medical conditions, health needs, skills, and other essential factors to support their rehabilitation and provide post-trauma care,” she said.
Bello also attributed the surge in trafficking cases to NAPTIP’s intensified crackdown on cybercrime syndicates in Nigeria, forcing traffickers to shift operations to Ghana.
“In recent months, our Cybercrime Response Team has disrupted several criminal networks. Their relocation to Ghana is a reaction to our intensified operations. But with continued collaboration with EOCO and immigration services, we will track them down,” she said.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
