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A 31-year-old Nigerian, OKolo Chukwakadibia Jackson, has been convicted by the Kweikuma Gender Circuit Court to 10 years imprisonment for human trafficking.
Additionally, Jackson was convicted to a fine of five hundred penalty units (GHc1,200.00) for illegal entry into the country or in default, serving an additional six-month imprisonment term.
The Court presided over by Her Honour, Naa Amerley Akowuah, convicted Jackson of trafficking a 16-year-old girl and two other females from Onitsha in Anambra state to Ghana.
He was convicted on his plea on two counts of Human Trafficking and Illegal Entry contrary to sections 2(1)/ (2) of the Human Trafficking Act, 2005(ACT 694) as amended by section 1(1) of the Human Trafficking Act, 2009 and the section 2(1), and 52(1)(D) of the Immigration Act, 2000 (ACT 573) respectively.
Presenting the facts, the prosecution informed the court that the accused entered the country illegally in 2021 and remained so until his arrest at Aboi Nkwanta near Asankrangwa, in the Western Region.
The prosecution said the 16-year-old victim, indicated that one Madam Ella, one of the accomplices of the primary suspect recruited them in Nigeria under the guise of sending them to her brother, the primary suspect, in Dubai to serve as salesgirls.
According to the prosecution, an amount of Six Hundred and Sixty-Eight Thousand and Two Hundred Naira (N 668,200) was sent by Jackson from Ghana to the said Madam Ella, to cover the cost of the recruitment, lodging, feeding, and transportation of the victims from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Asankrangwa in the Western region.
The prosecution said the victims arrived in Lagos on Sunday, February 11, 2024, through an agent who handed them over to a driver known as I.K., who accommodated them for the night. The next day, I.K. drove them in his car to Accra on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.
On the night of Thursday, February 15, 2024, I.K. arranged for an Asankrangwa bus bound for the victims and gave Jackson’s contact number to the driver to arrange for the victims to call him (Jackson) upon arrival.
Immediately after the convict received them on the morning of February 16, 2024, he singled out the 16-year-old girl and took her to a shrine to swear with an egg to the effect that she would neither run away nor disclose whatsoever ordeal she suffered to anyone; otherwise, she would die.
The victim was finally taken to a whorehouse, and handed over to another Nigerian woman, called Madam Special, in charge of that brothel.
The convict later gave an undisclosed amount of money and packs of condoms to the victim, after which she was directed to a room and ordered to begin working as a prostitute.
The victim was further informed that the entire proceeds from her illicit trade would go to Jackson.
However, the victim managed to escape from the brothel and chanced upon a good Samaritan, who led her to the Asankrangwa Sector Command of the Ghana Immigration Service.
The Commander, Supt. Kwabena Agyei, upon receiving the report, immediately arranged to rescue the victims and arrest the perpetrators but unfortunately missed Madam Special.
During interrogation, Jackson admitted having sent the other three victims to one Madam Gifty, who is also at large, in exchange for an amount of eight thousand five hundred Ghana cedis (GHC8,500.00).
