Ghana Arrests 48 Nigerians in Accra Over Alleged Online Fraud
Ghanaian authorities have announced the arrest of 48 Nigerian nationals on the outskirts of Accra over their alleged involvement in online fraud.
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Sam George, said in a post on X on Wednesday that the suspects were apprehended during a coordinated nighttime raid carried out by Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority in collaboration with National Security and the Ghana Police Service.
“Once again, we have struck at the heart of cybercrime operations within our beloved Homeland,” the minister said.
According to him, the intelligence-led operation took place in the Dawhenya area of the Ningo-Prampram Constituency and resulted in the arrest of “48 suspected cybercrime operatives.”
George said preliminary interrogation indicated that the suspects are Nigerian nationals, comprising 46 men and two women.
“Those arrested are believed to be Nigerian nationals, based on preliminary interrogation,” he said, adding that “the suspects are linked to a range of cyber-related criminal activities, including romance scams, online investment fraud, impersonation schemes, and illicit online gold trading.”
Security operatives also recovered several items during the raid, including “54 laptops, 39 mobile phones, one Starlink internet device, and eight MTN TurboNet routers,” the minister said.
The arrests come amid heightened efforts across West Africa to combat online fraud. Earlier this year, nearly 800 people were arrested in Lagos during a separate crackdown on cybercrime, including about 150 Chinese nationals.
Ghanaian officials said the Accra operation forms part of a broader strategy to safeguard the country’s digital and financial systems from organised cybercrime.
“We are committed to carrying out intelligence-led surgical strikes against these crime syndicates to ensure that we rid our cyber ecosystem of these criminals,” George said.
He added: “Ghana welcomes everyone interested in legitimate enterprise. We will remain a hostile domain for cyber criminals.”
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