Two Nigerian nationals have been sentenced to 20 years in prison each for trafficking victims into Ghana and subjecting them to forced labour and abuse.
The Tema Circuit Court “B”, presided over by Her Honour Mrs Naomi Adusei Amanianpong Kuntour, convicted Kingsley Ndifon and Emmanuel Akong on charges of human trafficking and causing harm.
The court handed each of the accused a 20-year jail term for human trafficking and an additional 10 years for causing harm, with the sentences to run concurrently.
However, the two were acquitted on the charge of conspiracy to commit a crime, specifically human trafficking, due to insufficient evidence to sustain that count.
Presenting the facts of the case, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mensah Kleku, the prosecutor, told the court that the accused persons lured victims from different parts of Nigeria with promises of employment opportunities in Ghana.
He said after bringing the victims into the country, the accused allegedly confined them at a residence in Sebrepor, a community near Afienya, where they were forced into cyber-related criminal activities against their will.
The prosecution told the court that the victims were denied contact with their families and compelled to carry out activities under strict control by the accused persons.
ASP Kleku said victims who resisted or failed to follow instructions were subjected to physical abuse, including beatings with machetes and electrical wires.
The court heard that some of the victims were found in poor health, suffering from malnutrition and injuries allegedly inflicted during their confinement.
Police investigations established that some victims sustained serious wounds and were first treated at the Manhean Polyclinic in Tema before being transferred to the Police Hospital in Accra for further medical attention.
The prosecution further told the court that the victims were rescued during a police operation at the Sebrepor location, while electronic devices belonging to the accused persons were retrieved to support investigations.
After examining the evidence presented before it, the court found Ndifon and Akong guilty of human trafficking and causing harm, leading to their custodial sentences.
The conviction adds to ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies and stakeholders to combat human trafficking networks operating within Ghana and across borders.
