Businessman jailed five years for human trafficking, illegal entry

Muftau Kimbele Yusif, a Nigerian businessman who was intercepted at the Sogakope Immigration Check Point for intermediating in the trafficking of four victims, has been jailed for five years.

Yusif was grabbed by the Sogakope Sector Command of the Ghana Immigration Service after he told them that he worked in Togo and that on June 5, this year, he had a call from one Baba Fita, a friend from Nigeria for a favour by bringing the four victims who wanted to travel from Togo to Cote d’Ivoire.

The four victims were aged 18,19, 21 and 26 years.

Facing four counts of acting as an intermediary in Human trafficking and Illegal entry, Yusif pleaded guilty before a Sogakope Circuit Court.

The court convicted Yusif on his own and sentenced him accordingly.

Prosecution led by Superintendent of Immigration, John Bernard Otoo, and Yussif Misbwu, Assistant Superintendent of Immigration, narrated that Yusif, who is a businessman plies his trade in Ivory Coast.

The prosecution said on June 6, 2023, Yusif was arrested at the Sogakope Immigration CheckPoint for attempting to travel to Ivory Coast with four Nigerian girls (name withheld).

According to the prosecution, Yusif claimed one Baba Fita, a Nigerian, handed over the girls to him in Lome, Togo.

It said the accused person, now a convict, claimed that the said Baba Fita gave him N140,000 that is N35,000 each as transportation for the four victims from Togo to Ivory Coast.

Prosecution said Yusif boarded a VIP Bus bound for Ivory Coast with the victims.

However, the prosecution said luck ran out on him when they reached the Sogakope Immigration Checkpoint.

The prosecution said investigations revealed that Yusif collected the said monies from one Baba Fita for transporting the victims from Togo to Ivory Coast.

“It also came to light that the accused person was going to hand over the girls to one Queen in Buafle, Ivory Coast, on telephone numbers 0172696672 and 0544287490.

The accused person entered the country without a passport or any travelling document.” Prosecution said.