EFCC detained 24 Nigeria youths in Ghana.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), under the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, has initiated an investigation into 24 Nigerian youths detained in Ghana for their suspected involvement in internet fraud.

These individuals were apprehended on April 17, 2025, at Kumsark Estate in Oyarifa, a suburb of Accra, by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) of Ghana. They were later handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on April 25, 2025. During the transfer of the suspects to the EFCC's Lagos Directorate 2 on Monday, April 28, 2025, Comfort Agboko, Zonal Commander of NAPTIP's Lagos Command, stated: "On April 25, 2025, the Agency received a total of 231 Nigerians — 24 suspects and 207 victims — from EOCO, who repatriated them following their arrest on April 17, 2025, on suspicions of internet fraud involvement. "Preliminary investigations by NAPTIP revealed that these individuals were engaged in cyber-related crimes, including romance scams, phishing, and fraudulent online transactions, with some potentially linked to larger cybercrime networks." Agboko, representing NAPTIP's Director General, Binta L. Adamu Bello, emphasized the importance of collaboration between NAPTIP and EFCC, stating it is crucial in addressing the connections among human trafficking, money laundering, and cybercrime. She added, "This partnership has proven successful in the past, as evidenced by a similar case referred to your Commission in 2022, which resulted in the conviction of four suspects for Advanced Fee Fraud.

The current handover is part of our ongoing collaboration, utilizing EFCC's expertise in financial crime investigations to ensure a thorough prosecution of the suspects." Receiving the suspects, acting Zonal Director of EFCC's Lagos Directorate 2, Ahmed Ghali, expressed gratitude to NAPTIP's leadership for maintaining their collaboration in efforts to eliminate economic and financial crimes from Nigeria. Ghali assured that the EFCC would conduct a thorough investigation to determine the suspects' involvement in the alleged fraudulent activities and to uncover any potential connections.

He stated, "On behalf of the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, I accept the 24 suspects along with 276 laptops, 118 mobile phones, 12 National Identification Numbers (NINs), two voter cards, two driver's licenses, 10 ATM cards, and five COVID-19 vaccination cards. "I assure you that we will approach this investigation diligently, and justice will be served, holding the perpetrators accountable."