Two Nigerians arrested for human trafficking

The Baatsona Police have arrested two Nigerian women for allegedly transporting six of their compatriots to Ghana to engage in prostitution.

The suspects have been identified as Ify Mba, a 33-year-old actress and Amanda Eze Chioma aka Faith, 23.

The police, acting on tip-off, raided a hotel in Accra where the victims aged between 21 and 26 were being sexually exploited.

The ringleader, who has been identified only as Angel, is currently on the run.

Two victims, who refused to engage in prostitution, were locked up in a room and denied food by the mistresses.

The victims, who claimed they were from Anabra, Enugu, Delta and Abia, alleged that they were lured by the suspects with juicy deals.

The suspects are currently assisting in police investigations.

Briefing the media, Chief Superintendent Felix K Cosmos, the Baatsona Divisional Police Commander, said the police received information that a group of Nigerian girls were being escorted by some adult women to a hotel at Baatsona for prostitution on Monday, March 24, 2017.

Based on intelligence, the police embarked on an operation and arrested the two suspects at 7pm.

The six victims were rescued and when they were interrogated, they said they were brought to Ghana by Ify Mba and Amanda Chioma on transit to Germany and Dubai to be employed as house helps, he added.

The police commander said the victims were allegedly forced into prostitution by the suspects who collected the proceeds on a daily basis.

The victims said the suspects often transported them to night clubs and hotels to engage in prostitution daily. Four victims were brought into the country on March 14, 2017 while the other two were brought to Ghana on March 22, 2017, the commander said.

“On arrival, we were locked up in a room where we were made to swear an oath to go into prostitution or in default go mad. We were later asked to work and pay an amount of 555,000 Naira, equivalent to $2,000 each before their release.

“Madame Chioma told us that we would use Ghana as a transit and that all our traveling documents would be done in Ghana. A taxi cab was hired from Nigeria to Ghana and Madam Ify met us on arrival and took us to the hotel,” the victims said.

“The following morning, they fixed our hair and eye lashes. When I asked her the reason why we were to wear the lashes, she told me that it was to make us beautiful and smart. Realizing that we were to be used as prostitutes, I refused to wear the eye lashes and to engage in the prostitution and so together with my friend, we were locked up in the room and denied food until the police came in to rescue us.”

Another victim, who gave her name as Belinda, told the paper that she had been in the country for two weeks and had paid 2,000 Naira to the mistresses as part of her fees through prostitution.

The victims expressed their desire to return to their country Nigeria.

The police disclosed that they would hand over the victims to the Anti Human Trafficking Unit to be transported to Nigeria, adding that the suspects would be prosecuted.