ACCRA: A court in Ghana has sentenced two Nigerian nationals to 20 years’ imprisonment each after finding them guilty of trafficking fellow Nigerians into the country under false promises of employment and forcing them to engage in cybercrime.
The convicts, Kingsley Ndifon, 29, and Emmanuel Akong, 25, were found guilty of human trafficking and causing harm following a trial at Tema Circuit Court ‘B’ in Tema.
According to the Ghana Police Service, the suspects lured Nigerian nationals to Ghana with promises of legitimate jobs before allegedly holding them captive and compelling them to participate in internet fraud.
The suspects were arrested on August 20, 2023, after the Afienya District Police Command received a distress report that several people were being held against their will in a house at Sebrepor, a suburb of Tema.
Police officers, assisted by local residents, raided the property and rescued 11 Nigerian nationals who were found confined inside the building. The two suspects were arrested during the operation.
A search of the premises led to the recovery of 16 laptops and an iPad, which investigators believe were used in the alleged cybercrime activities.
Investigations revealed that after arriving in Ghana, the victims allegedly had their mobile phones and identification documents confiscated before being forced to carry out online fraud using electronic devices supplied by the suspects.
The Ghana Police said the rescued victims endured harsh living conditions while in captivity.
According to investigators, they were reportedly fed only once a day and were subjected to severe physical abuse whenever they failed to comply with instructions.
Police alleged that some victims were beaten with laptop charging cables and machetes, leaving several of them with injuries, including cutlass wounds. Officers also found that many of the victims were malnourished and in poor health when they were rescued.
Following the trial before Circuit Court ‘B’, presided over by Her Honour Naomi Adusei Amamiampong Kucour, the court convicted both men of human trafficking and causing harm.
Each defendant was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for human trafficking and 10 years for causing harm, with both sentences ordered to run concurrently. As a result, each convict will serve 20 years in prison.
Reacting to the judgment, the Tema Regional Police Command reiterated its commitment to tackling human trafficking, cyber-enabled crimes, and other forms of abuse.
The command also urged members of the public to promptly report suspected cases of human trafficking and related criminal activities to law enforcement authorities to help protect vulnerable individuals and dismantle trafficking networks.
