The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has dismantled an alleged transnational organised crime syndicate linked to the QNET/IGNITE network, arresting 12 suspects and rescuing two victims during coordinated operations carried out in Lagos State.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Service Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller of Immigration Akinsola Akinlabi, the operation was launched following credible intelligence about the activities of a trafficking syndicate operating within the state.
Among those arrested was Ouattra Adama, a Burkinabe national identified by the NIS as the suspected leader of the network. The remaining suspects include eight Liberian nationals and three Cameroonians, all believed to have played various facilitative roles within the organisation.
The operation also led to the rescue of two Liberian nationals who authorities described as victims of the syndicate. The Immigration Service said all 12 suspects, alongside the rescued victims, have been transferred to its headquarters for further investigation and necessary legal procedures.
The Service explained that the QNET/IGNITE network is allegedly involved in fraudulent employment and business schemes that exploit vulnerable individuals seeking opportunities abroad, often encouraging irregular migration through false promises.
The NIS advised members of the public to carefully verify all employment, educational, business and migration opportunities through legitimate and recognised channels before making financial commitments or travelling internationally. It noted that the arrest of the syndicate’s alleged leader and other suspects demonstrates the Service’s commitment to intelligence-led border management and the fight against irregular migration and transnational organised crime.
The Immigration Service added that investigations are ongoing to identify other members of the network and locate additional victims who may have been affected by the syndicate’s operations across Nigeria.
Authorities further noted that the QNET network has come under scrutiny in several countries, where criminal groups have allegedly used its name to deceive job seekers and intending migrants with promises of lucrative business and employment opportunities. Nigerian security agencies have intensified efforts in recent years to dismantle such trafficking and recruitment networks operating across the country.
