Nigerian trader jailed 7 years for trafficking women into prostitution in Ghana
A Nigerian trader has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court for human trafficking and immigration offences.
The charges, filed by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), follow an intelligence-led operation by the GIS Asankragwa Sector Command that rescued two victims, aged 21 and 13, from exploitation.
In a statement issued on Thursday, June 4, and signed by Head of Public Affairs, DSI Barbara Sam, the GIS noted that the convict, identified as Ada Peace, entered Ghana illegally in 2024.
According to the Service, investigations established that the victims were lured from Nigeria with promises of employment as shop attendants in Ghana but were instead forced into prostitution.
"Presenting the case before the Court, the prosecutor Chief Superintendent of Immigration (CSI) John Bernard Otoo revealed that the victims were lured from Nigeria under false promises of shop attendant jobs in Ghana, but were instead forced into prostitution while the convict appropriated the proceeds," the statement read in part.
The GIS said further investigations by its Anti-Human Smuggling and Trafficking in Persons Section revealed that the victims were recruited through accomplices in Nigeria and transported into Ghana, where they were received by the convict at a brothel in Adaase near Asankragwa.
The victims were allegedly subjected to spiritual intimidation and compelled to engage in commercial sex work to repay debts amounting to six million Nigerian Naira.
The statement added that Ada Peace was arraigned with her accomplice, Rejoice Opara, both of whom entered Ghana through unapproved border routes in July 2024 and stayed in the country without the required permits.
While Ada Peace faced four charges, including human trafficking and illegal entry, Opara was fined and discharged by the court.
"The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Samuel Basintale Amadu, strongly condemned human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and illegal migration. He stressed that offenders will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted, warning that state security agencies will not tolerate exploitation of vulnerable persons or breaches of immigration laws," the GIS stated.
The Service further urged the public to remain vigilant against human trafficking schemes.
It cautioned that traffickers are increasingly using deceptive methods, including recruitment through social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok, false promises of jobs and travel opportunities, and demands for upfront payments by self-classd travel agents.