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Claim: Facebook and X users claim that 120 Nigerian fraudsters arrested in Ghana have been repatriated to the United States.
Verdict: False! The 120 Nigerians were reportedly rescued as suspected victims of human trafficking and cybercrime exploitation and repatriated to Nigeria, not the United States. Ghanaian authorities separately reported that eight suspects were being processed for prosecution.
Full Text
A social media post by Instablog9ja has generated widespread reactions after claiming that 120 Nigerian nationals arrested in Ghana had been repatriated to the United States.
The post was first shared on Facebook on Oct. 13, 2026, with a video showing a group of people standing in a queue beside an aircraft bearing the Ghana Air Force insignia. The caption read: “120 Nigerian fraudsters arrested in Ghana repatriated to the U.S.”
At the time of DUBAWA’s review, the Facebook post had attracted approximately 8,100 likes, 3,300 comments and 810 shares.
Meanwhile, Instablog9ja earlier shared the claim on X on Oct. 13, 2026, using a still image from the video alongside the same caption. The post had garnered approximately 338,400 views, 8,100 likes, 807 reposts, and 373 replies at the time of review.
The publications generated reactions from users who interpreted the caption to mean that the individuals had been flown to the United States.
On Facebook, one user, Obinwa Ahaiwe, wrote, “Them don first me go America.” Another user, Victor Oloriegbe, commented, “It’s better to be slow and sure than to be fast and fall,” quoting Nigerian cleric Bishop David Oyedepo.
Furthermore, Ndubuisi Christian Valentine asked, “Can I replace one of them? I’m asking for Nyosom Nwike,” while Adagbo Rebecca Lami wrote in Pidgin, “Dem even wear hoodies for the new weather. Happy bombing oo,” apparently referring to the perceived trip to the United States.
On X, the post also attracted comments from users who appeared to believe the individuals were travelling to America. One user, GloriiDaGreat, wrote, “Hk boys wey even never see anything for hk don go face am sha,” while another, Carti, asked, “Wait ooh, dem carry dem go US for…? Wowww.”
Moreover, a user identified as RII commented, “Free US visa,” while Ndiana Obot described the development as a “Free Flight Ride,” congratulating the individuals.
Screenshot of reactions
However, not all users accepted the claim without question. One Facebook user, Samuel Chizaram, wrote, “I don’t think that plane is US-bound. Probably being sent back to Nigeria.”
The reactions illustrate how the caption shaped users’ understanding of the video, with several interpreting it as evidence that the individuals had been flown to the United States.
The claim gained traction amid reports of an intelligence-led operation targeting suspected cybercrime centres in the Greater Accra Region.
Several social media pages posted the video. They can be found here, here, here, and here.
However, conflicting accounts of the incident and the claim’s widespread circulation prompted DUBAWA to investigate the facts and establish the circumstances of the operation and the individuals’ destination.
Verification
DUBAWA examined the claim against statements from Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority (CSA), information released by the minister responsible for communications, and reports from credible Ghanaian and Nigerian media organisations.
The Nigerians were described as suspected victims, not as fraudsters
The Cyber Security Authority provided details of the operation, which was known as ‘Operation Blackout’ or ‘Operation Cyberhunt’.
In a statement on October 9, 2026, the CSA said the operation led to the arrest of eight suspects and the rescue of 120 individuals believed to have been trafficked and exploited in online fraud activities.
According to the Authority, the operation followed intelligence received on August 26, 2026, suggesting that residential properties in parts of the Greater Accra Region were being used as bases for organised cybercrime, including romance scams.
The properties identified in the statement included apartments at Ubuntu Haven Estate in Kpone Katamanso and Franko Estate in Ga North, as well as other locations in Ga West.
Furthermore, the CSA said the individuals rescued were largely Nigerians who were suspected of having been trafficked and compelled to participate in cybercrime activities.
The distinction is important because the viral post categorically describes all 120 individuals as fraudsters, whereas the authorities identified them as suspected victims of trafficking and exploitation.
Nonetheless, the eight suspects arrested during the operation were separately identified as individuals being investigated for possible prosecution.
The information available does not establish that every person rescued had committed an offence.
The repatriation was to Nigeria, not the United States
Information published by Ghanaian authorities and reports from credible media outlets contradict the claim about the individuals’ destination.
On Oct. 13, 2026, Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, published a statement on Facebook thanking the Ghana Air Force and the Ministry of Defence for facilitating the repatriation of 120 Nigerian nationals arrested during ‘Operation Cyberhunt’.
In the statement, George explained that the individuals had allegedly been trafficked to Ghana and forced to work in cybercrime operations.
Furthermore, the minister disclosed that the operation led to the seizure of 136 mobile phones, 130 laptops, internet connectivity devices and four motor vehicles, one of which was reportedly stolen from Canada. Authorities also recovered jewellery, ten Nigerian passports and other digital equipment.
George added that authorities were processing eight other individuals for prosecution.
Citi Newsroom reported the same day that the 120 individuals had returned to Nigeria after the intelligence-led operation.
Moreover, Nigeria-based Punch Newspapers reported on October 13 that Ghanaian authorities had rescued 119 Nigerians during the operation, with 105 repatriated to Nigeria and the remaining 14 undergoing processing.
These reports establish that the reported destination was Nigeria, not the United States. The viral post therefore misrepresents a central detail of the development.
Nigerian authorities reported different figures
Further reporting from Nigeria raises questions about the precise number of people rescued and repatriated at different stages of the operation.
In a report published on Oct. 12, 2026, Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) reported that Ghanaian authorities had rescued 119 Nigerians.
According to the report, 105 had been received in Nigeria, while 14 others were still undergoing processing by Ghanaian authorities.
NAPTIP’s account differs from the 120 figure cited by George and the CSA. The reports reviewed did not explain the discrepancy.
Nevertheless, this difference does not support the viral claim that the individuals were sent to the United States. Rather, the Nigerian agency’s account further confirms that the repatriation process involved returning the rescued Nigerians to their home country.
Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority clarified who led the operation
Meanwhile, the CSA also addressed public accounts of the international cooperation involved in the operation.
In a statement reported by Graphic Online on Oct. 9, 2026, the Authority rejected portrayals suggesting that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had independently conceived, commanded or executed Operation Blackout.
The CSA said Ghanaian authorities planned, coordinated, and executed the operation within the country’s legal and institutional frameworks, with support from international partners, including the FBI, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The Authority acknowledged the international partners’ contributions but stressed that their roles should be accurately represented.
This clarification provides additional context, although it does not change the evidence on where the repatriated Nigerians were sent.
Conclusion
The claim that 120 Nigerian fraudsters arrested in Ghana were repatriated to the United States is false. Information from Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority, the minister responsible for communications, and reports from some local media indicate that the individuals were suspected victims of human trafficking and exploitation who were rescued during an operation targeting cybercrime centres and subsequently returned to Nigeria.
