Child Traffickers Nabbed

Child Trafficking KEGBAMENI BLASA, 26, a Togolese, and his Ghanaian counterpart, Badaheo Kajabei, 25, who conspired to steal and traffic a child have been remanded by a Hohoe Circuit Court presided over by Edward Apenkwa.

Narrating the incident to the court, Chief Inspector Samuel Gbedemah said Blasa, who lived at Kpalu in Togo, visited Tehewah Abalo, a farmer at Kambole in the same country in September last year. He noted that Blasa asked for a loan from Abalo to enable him refuel his motorbike so he could continue his journey, but instead, Blasa was given casual work to do to be able to earn money for the fuel.

The prosecutor said weeks later, Blasa visited Abalo at Kambole again and told him he made a stopover to thank him (Abalo) for assisting him in his earlier visit.

Chief Inspector Gbedemah said while Abalo's wife was preparing food for Blasa, he bolted with the couple's eight-year-old daughter to Nkwanta, in the northern part of the Volta region in Ghana.

The prosecutor continued that at Nkwanta, Blasa contacted Kajabei to assist him in selling the girl to raise money to buy an Urvan bus and acquire a driver's license.

Chief Insp. Gbedemah said Kajabei contacted a witness in the case, who feigned interest and alerted the police.

Blasa and Kajabei were then lured to a hotel in Nkwanta to meet an Alhaji who feigned interest in buying the girl and at the meeting, Blasa and Kajabei offered to sell the victim at GH¢48,000.

Prosecution said police, who had mounted surveillance in the area, arrested Blasa and Kajabei.

The pleas of the suspects were not taken and they would reappear in court on February 27 this year.

From Wise Donkor, Hohoe