Police in Nigeria recently engaged in a raid and rescue action, releasing 76 Ghanian men who had been trafficked there under a fraudulent recruitment scheme. Lured by promises of football contracts with foreign teams and jobs abroad, the BBC reports they instead found themselves trapped in modern slavery. And while releasing people from forced labor is laudable, law enforcement should be putting more emphasis on root cause issues to stop trafficking before it ever takes place. 

Victims released, traffickers caught, but… 

Using the ubiquitous trafficking model of false promises of a good job abroad seven suspects lured the 76 Ghanian men to travel to Nigeria. However, upon arrival things were not as promised. They were stuffed into overcrowded rooms under poor conditions, said police. All travel documents and mobile phones were seized. The men were then moved to “holding camps.” There they were forced to contact their families and extort money in the guise of paying training or facilitation fees.  

The head of Ghana’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Lydia Yaako Donkor, said in a press statement: 

“The psychological and economic harm caused to these victims and their families is devastating…in many cases, the victims are so malnourished and psychologically affected that they are unable to resume their normal lives.” 

And the scam didn’t stop there. The traffickers also used the confiscated phones to get the men’s contact lists. They then scammed the men’s friends and other relatives as well. Lured by false job promises but instead being forced to commit fraud has sadly become pervasive across Asia and Africa.  

Indeed, as part of the press statement, the CID boss cautioned families to verify lucrative job offers and educational opportunities abroad before signing up. But warnings and rescues are not enough to effectively address this growing global crisis. More needs to be done. 

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