Two separate Accra Circuit Courts are trying 10 Nigerians for human trafficking, cyber crime, and prostitution. All the accused persons were remand into lawful custody by the courts yesterday.
Interestingly, the trafficked persons were divided based on their gender – those recruited for the cyber crime were exclusively males and the vice versa for prostitution – with the cases being handled by the Circuit Courts ‘1’ and ‘2’.
The Court ‘2’, presided over by Rosemary Baah Torsu, has remanded seven of the Nigerians into the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for allegedly engaging in human trafficking.
The accused persons are Osas Vincent, Kennedy Anthony, Godson Iyan Inye, Junior Ayala, Ariyo, Desmond Johnson, Andrew Gabriel and Ebedebi Ayaye Friday.
EOCO is, however, hunting for the eighth accused persons – Williams Ogbemudia Idemudia alias Chairman – who is on the run.
The accused persons were charged with 24 counts, including human trafficking, assault and participating in organised crime. All seven accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Osas Vincent, together with the seven others, was put before the court by EOCO yesterday.
The Head of Legal and Prosecution at EOCO, Abu Issah, narrated to the court that on August 29, 2022, the Office received an email from the Nigeria National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) requesting an EOCO intervention in the rescue of its nationals who were being trafficked into Ghana for exploitation.
The email indicated that about 19 persons were being trafficked to be exploited for cyber crime purposes by the accused persons, therefore, EOCO should assist by arresting the traffickers and prosecuting them.
Investigations revealed that the eight accused persons were part of an organised criminal group, in which all the members were Nigerian nationals, acting in concert to commit the offence of human trafficking.
Following up to the tip-off, he narrated that the Office investigation further revealed that the accused persons were part of an organised criminal group, based in Nigeria and Ghana.
He continued that the Office investigations also established that Williams Ogbemudia Idemudia alias Chairman recruited the victims, namely Opia Chuckwudi Samuel, Azaman Pascal, Exe Nya Olughu, Michael Obadidi, Godsway Mark, Emmanuel Christopher, Kelvin Eze, Obinnah Ndidi, Ogwu Chikwado, Okedze Destiny, Samuel Johnson, Kelvin Orumwense, Chinonso Nwolake, Richard Pascal, Promise Enemou, Albert Christian, Peter Joseph Aimuuwwosu, Monday Clement and Emmanuel Ugboh.
Mr. Issah said all the trafficked victims were Nigerian nationals from various states in that country, and were transported to Ghana with the promise to be given jobs.
Unfortunately, he said, the victims were received and detained in Ghana without their consent at Manhean, Obcyceyie by the accused persons who trained and engaged them in internet fraud.
He added that it was in the light of this that the suspects were put before the court for prosecution.
The court ordered the prosecution to file all its disclosures within 21, days and adjourned the case to October 17, 2022.
The Circuit Court ‘1’, presided over by Afia Owusuaa Appiah, was informed by Chief Inspector Richard Amoah that the Head Pastor of the Baptist Church at Tesano, Rev. Jonathan Kwasi Attuah, lodged a complainant with the police.
He added that the accused persons were Joy Gimbia Galadima, Juliet Ijeoma Chiryere Nnaji and Happiness Augustine Williams, Nigerian commercial sex workers, and Collins Nana Yaw Oppong Bempong, a painter whose fiancée was Juliet Ijeoma Chiryere. He added that all the accused persons resided at Lapaz.
According to him, on September 1, 2022, Joy Gimbia Galadima, Juliet Ijeoma Chiryere Nnaji and Happiness Augustine Williams conspired and lured two teenagers from Nigeria to Ghana with the promise to acquire jobs for them as sales officers.
He said Joy deliberately paid a sum of ₦240,000, equivalent to GH¢5,732.00, to Happiness to lured the victims all the way from the River State in Nigeria to come to Ghana.
The prosecutor stated that the teenagers arrived in Accra on September 2, 2022, and were kept at Juliet and her fiancée’s resident. It was at this point that the accused persons disclosed to them that the job that they would engage in was prostitution.
He indicated that Oppong later threatened and forced the victims to swear that they would y GH¢2,000 each to Joy and Juliet before they are set free.
Luckily, on September 3, 2022, at about 4:30am, one of the victims while roaming on the streets of Lapaz met members of the Baptist Church on an evangelism mission, and narrated her ordeal to them.
The church then took custody of the victim and consequently petitioned the National Investigation Bureau for action.
On September 23 and 27, 2022, at about 12:00pm, the accused persons were arrested and they all admitted the offence.
