Police rescues four children sold into slavery for GHC500

A 56-year-old man who sold his four children into slavery for a paltry GHC500 [approximately $125] has been grabbed by the Police at Winneba in the Central Region.

Bright Agyepong was said to have sold all the four boys, aged between 13 and 19, one after the other at the blind side of his wife, TV3’s Peter Adattor reported.

The four and one other boy were Thursday rescued from their slave masters in Kpando in the Volta Region by a combine a non-governmental organisation, Challenging Heights in collaboration Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police and the Navy at Kpando.

Agyapong claimed he could not take care of the children Agyapong is currently being prepared to face prosecution on charges of human trafficking.

The three slave masters were not available at the time of the rescue mission but authorities say they would follow up to cause their arrest to also face prosecution.

One of them is said to be a pastor of the Resurrection Church of Christ and another the chief of a community. The victims have since been taken to the Challenging Height’s Rehabilitation Centre at Winneba where they are expected to spend between six to nine months before they are integrated into their families. ”

They looked malnourished and unhealthy. One of them fell ill yesterday [Thursday],” Communications Manager of Challenging Heights, Pomaa Arthur told 3News, adding “we are going to assess their emotional, psychological and health state”.

She told 3News that the three of the four children were staying with their grandmother (Agyapong’s mother) while the youngest one was staying with his wife. Peter reported that Agyapong had claimed he had sent the boys to his brother, one Kwaku Adu, at Kpando because he was unable to take care of them but it emerged last week that Agyapong had sold them into slavery.

The matter was subsequently reported to the Police in Kasoa, which handed the case to the Winneba Police to act on. Agyapong was arrested and later taken to the Human Trafficking Unit at the Police Headquarters.

Intelligence led the rescue team to Fantekope-Biobio, an island community in the Afram Plains where the children have been working as slaves in fishing.