A Nigerian food vendor accused of running a cross-border sex trafficking ring has been remanded into police custody by an Accra Circuit Court.
Gift Chinyere Aminu, the accused, is facing charges of conspiracy to commit crime and two counts of human trafficking after allegedly luring two women from Togo to Ghana and forcing them into prostitution. She pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Two of her alleged accomplices, known only as Jennifer and Blessing, are currently on the run.
Presiding judge Mrs. Sususa Eduful denied Aminu bail, citing that she lived in a kiosk at Kwame Nkrumah Circle with no fixed address — a situation the court considered a flight risk.
According to the prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Issah Achiburi, the case came to light after one of the victims reached out to a Nigerian resident in Accra, reporting that she and another woman had been trafficked to Ghana under false pretences and forced into sex work.
Investigations revealed that Aminu allegedly managed the victims’ prostitution activities, collected their earnings, and sent the proceeds to her associates. She is also accused of taking the women to a shrine, where she compelled them to swear an oath that they would go insane if they tried to escape or withheld any money.
The prosecution added that Aminu previously operated in Togo but fled to Ghana after a police raid. While in Ghana, one of the victims became pregnant, and Aminu allegedly gave her medication to terminate the pregnancy.
Police investigations further established that Aminu extorted a total of 550,000 Naira (approximately GH₵6,600) from the victims.
The court has ordered the prosecution to file disclosures and adjourned the case to November 19, 2025, for Case Management Conference.
