Two Nigerians jailed 10yrs for Sex Trafficking

The Koforidua Circuit Court “B” presided over by Her Honour Mercy Adei-Kotei has jailed two Nigerian sex traffickers operating in Asokore in the New Juaben North Municipality.

The convicts, Gloria John and Rita Oba were found guilty of conspiracy to commit a crime of trafficking, human trafficking and use of trafficked victims. They have been slapped with a 5-year jail term each to run concurrently. The Court also ordered for their deportation after serving their sentences.

The facts of the case are that the victims, Perpetual and Maurine both 19 and 20 years of age respectively are siblings and unemployed Secondary School graduates who hail from Urobo in the Delta State of Nigeria while the convicts are commercial sex workers.

In August 2018, Gloria, a relative of the victims conspired with Rita and managed to traffic them to Ghana under the pretence of employing them in her shop.

On arrival in Ghana, the convicts, however, recruited the victims into prostitution with a mutual agreement that Gloria will manage Perpetual and collect her proceeds whilst Rita also manages Maurine and collect her proceeds.

The victims who were reluctant to engage in the illicit business were asked by their traffickers to pay GH¢50,000 each to gain their freedom.

The convicts accommodated the victims at Omama Spot, a brothel in Asokere in the New Juaben North Municipality where they were given orientations on how to be seductive in order to attract customers.

The victims operated at Total 2 and B-Foster areas in Koforidua township and in nine days they were forced to sleep with 13 men charging between GH¢10 to GH¢30.

Detective Sergent Emmanuel Agbodzi, the CID officer, who investigated the case told the court that a total amount of GH¢1, 367 were actualized from the nine-day of operations.

The victims, according to Sergent Agbodzi on September 2 reported their ordeal to the Effiduase Police station leading to the arrest of the convicts.

Meanwhile, the victims have been sheltered at an Orphanage Home in the region while efforts are being made to get assistance from the Nigeria High Commission in Ghana to repatriate them to their family.