Two women arrested for human trafficking
Two Nigerian women have been arrested at Baatsona in Accra for alleged human trafficking. The suspects identified as Ify Mba, 33, and Amanda Eze Chioma, alias Faith, 23, allegedly sent Nigerian women to Ghana and other countries to engage in prostitution against their wish.
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Six of their victims, between the ages of 21 and 26, who had been locked up in a hotel at Baatsona, were rescued by the police.
The mastermind of the illegal activity, identified only as Slim Angel, is currently on the run.
Arrest
Briefing journalists, the Baatsona Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Mr Felix K. Cosmos, said on March 24, 2017, the police received information that a group of Nigerian women were being kept in a hotel in Baatsona for prostitution.
He said the police embarked on an operation and arrested the two suspects who were seen escorting some of their victims into one of the hotel rooms.
Some of the victims told the police that they were brought from Nigeria to Ghana on March 14, 2017, by the two suspects on transit to Germany and Dubai where they were told they would be employed as housekeepers.
However, he said, the victims claimed that soon after they arrived in Ghana, they were compelled by the suspects to engage in prostitution.
He said preliminary investigations established that the victims were locked up in a hotel room after which they were made to swear an oath and forced to engage in prostitution in nightclubs and hotels in Baatsona.
Victims’ ordeal
He said the victims were made to pay 555,000 Naira ($2,000) to the suspects.
According to him, the victims were denied food and water for some days when they initially refused to engage in the illegal trade, forcing them to rescind their decisions.
The suspects, Mr Cosmos said, would be handed over to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service for further investigations.
He appealed to hoteliers to report any suspicious characters that patronise their services to the police and gave an assurance that the police would continue to work with stakeholders in the hospitality industry to reduce human trafficking.