COP Lydia Donkor leads Ghana-Nigeria partnership to fight human trafficking

The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Yaako Donkor, has revealed that Ghana and Nigeria have deepened their collaboration to combat human trafficking across West Africa.

In a post on her official Facebook page, COP Donkor said the new partnership was sealed during a high-level bilateral meeting between the CID and the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja on November 6, 2025.

The meeting, co-chaired by her and Deputy Inspector-General of Police Sadiq Abubakar, was the first formal dialogue between the two nations dedicated solely to the fight against human trafficking.

She explained that both countries examined the growing link between human trafficking and cybercrime and agreed to strengthen intelligence sharing, coordinate joint operations, fast-track prosecutions, and enhance victim protection.

According to COP Donkor, “This collaboration marks a significant step forward in our collective effort to tackle human trafficking. It reinforces our shared commitment to protect vulnerable persons and dismantle transnational criminal networks.”

Since her appointment in March 2025, COP Donkor has prioritized human trafficking as one of Ghana’s most pressing security and human-rights concerns.

A review under her leadership showed that by mid-2025, the CID had rescued 131 victims of sex trafficking and cyber-enabled fraud, most of them from Nigeria, as well as 159 victims of labour trafficking. Additionally, 113 Ghanaians were identified as victims of Q-NET-related recruitment scams from the subregion.

The CID, she said, has since intensified efforts to fight cross-border trafficking through proactive policing, early detection, and closer cooperation with both local and international partners.

COP Donkor, who recently became the first Ghanaian and only female officer elected to the INTERPOL Africa Committee, noted that Ghana remains committed to building regional partnerships that support preventive policing and protect the rights of trafficking victims.

She added that the Abuja meeting “marks a turning point for Ghana-Nigeria cooperation” and demonstrates both nations’ determination to fight human trafficking and cybercrime together.

By: Jacob Aggrey