The Achimota Circuit Court in Accra has sentenced two persons to nine years imprisonment each for trafficking two victims from Nigeria to Ghana.
Jessica Daniel, aka Blessing, a 24-year-old hairdresser and Kelvin Johnson, aka Alaska, a 30-year-old Bitcoin trader, were jailed after they were found guilty at the end of the trial.
The convicts are said to have compelled the victims to engage in prostitution instead of securing them jobs.
The victims were to pay GH₵8,000 each before gaining their freedom from the convicts.
The two convicts were held on charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and two counts of human trafficking.
The Court presided over by Akosua Anokyewaa Adjepong on April 29, 2025, deferred their sentence to April 30, 2025, pending the outcome of a pregnancy test of Jessica, the first accused person.
When the pregnancy test report was forwarded to the court, it turned out to be negative.
Reading her Judgement earlier, the trial Judge indicated that the prosecution had been able to establish its case beyond a reasonable doubt after calling three witnesses, while the accused persons also called a defence witness.
The prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Isaac Babayi, earlier told the court the complainant in this case was Chief Calistus Elozipuwa, a member of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), based in Ghana.
ASP Babayi said on July 1, 2024, the complainant rescued victims Gloria Vincent alias Grace, aged 20, and Gloria Igbetar a.k.a Diamond, also aged 25, who were engaging in prostitution. The prosecution said that when they were questioned, they told the complainant that they were deceived, lured, and transported to Ghana from Nigeria by Jessica in January and February 2024, respectively, under the pretext of securing them jobs as domestic servants, but ended up forcing them into prostitution.
According to the prosecution, the victims were linked to an agent in Nigeria by Johnson, who picked them up at the lorry station in Accra, and also took them to an apartment where they were made to stay and work as prostitutes for Jessica, who demanded they pay GH₵8,000.00 each to gain their freedom.
The prosecution told the court that Jessica and Johnson were subsequently rearrested by the Police.
During the investigation, the prosecution said that Jessica and Johnson admitted having recruited and transported the victims from Nigeria to Ghana for prostitution, of which the proceeds from the prostitution were collected by Johnson, who also handed them over to Jessica to be kept.
The prosecution said that investigations further revealed that Jessica hid behind Johnson to traffic the ladies to Ghana with the excuse that she was afraid the victims might harm her if they found out that she was their mistress.
The prosecution held that the victims have been able to pay GH₵8,000.00 each to the convicts, which they both admitted having received the said amount.
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