The Circuit Court 11 in Accra, presided over by Her Honour Basilia Adjei-Tawiah, has remanded six Nigerian nationals into the custody of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) over alleged involvement in human trafficking, kidnapping, and defrauding by false pretence.
The accused persons — Kelvinson Agbonoga Friday, 36, a musician; Dominic Fortune, 27, a teacher; Kenneth Abuchi, 29, a sprayer; Christopher Chidi, 29, a labourer; Stephen Akhigbe, 20, a phone repairer; and Victor Umoru, 18, a mechanic — all pleaded not guilty to the charges when they appeared before the court on Tuesday.
Charges
Kelvinson Agbonoga Friday, identified as the lead accused, faces four counts: human trafficking, kidnapping, and defrauding by false pretence. The other five are charged with abetment of defrauding by false pretence.
According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Jacob Maalo Kuubal, the accused trafficked five Nigerians into Ghana under the guise of securing them employment but instead compelled them to engage in online romance scams targeting victims in the United States and Taiwan.
Brief Facts
Chief Inspector Kuubal told the court that on October 27, 2025, NIB operatives, acting on intelligence, raided a house at Kasoa in the Central Region, where the suspects were arrested.
Items retrieved included six laptops, nine mobile phones, four flash drives, assorted SIM cards, two visa cards, and a 5G internet router, which have been retained for evidential purposes.
Investigations revealed that the first accused, Agbonoga, recruited the others from Nigeria to Ghana to partake in the fraudulent activities, which involved creating fake social media profiles to defraud unsuspecting victims.
Plea and Court Proceedings
Before the plea was taken, the prosecution informed the court that the fourth accused, Christopher Chidi, was absent because he had been taken ill and was receiving treatment at the NIB clinic.
During proceedings, the first accused person, Agbonoga, complained that since his arrest on Saturday, he had been denied access to his lawyer and wife.
However, the prosecution countered that he was allowed access but claimed not to have his lawyer’s contact number. The court confirmed from Lawyer Andrew Vortia, who acknowledged being counsel for the accused.
After the confirmation, the case was stood down briefly before resuming for the plea to be taken, during which all accused persons pleaded not guilty.
Bail Application and Ruling
Counsel for the accused prayed the court to grant bail, citing the Martin Kpebu v. Attorney-General case, arguing that the accused could still be investigated while on bail.
He maintained that they have fixed places of abode, are gainfully employed, and have potential sureties with valid residential status in Ghana.
The prosecution, however, strongly opposed the bail, invoking Section 96(5) of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30).
Chief Inspector Kuubal argued that the offences are preliminary and part of a larger investigation involving threats of death and harm against U.S. citizens, with supporting emails yet to be received from the FBI.
He contended that releasing the accused at this stage could jeopardize investigations, as the alleged crimes were conducted online and digital evidence could easily be tampered with.
In her ruling, Her Honour Adjei-Tawiah declined the bail application, stating that it was necessary to allow the prosecution to complete investigations within two weeks.
The accused persons were consequently remanded into NIB custody to reappear on November 11, 2025.
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