Crime & Punishment of Saturday, 21 December 2013

Source: GNA

Two Nigerians jailed for human trafficking

Two Nigerians who trafficked three women from Nigeria, under the pretext of offering them jobs but subjected them to sexual abuse, were on Thursday sentenced to seven years imprisonment by an Accra circuit court.

This was after the court had found Ese Omwrihe and Atarhe guilty on two counts of human trafficking and kidnapping.

Atarhe also took monies ranging from Ghc10.00 and Ghc50.00 from men who slept with the victims.

The court, presided over by Ms Sedina Agbemava, noted that Omukaro was also under the control of Atarhe because he depended on Atarhe for food and shelter.

She expressed worry over how some women were lured by some persons under the pretext of securing them jobs but ended up being exploited sexually.

The court also ordered the deportation of the convicts to Nigeria while their mobile phones and electrical gadgets seized by the police and returned to them after serving their sentences.

The facts, presented by Chief Inspector Samuel Sarkwah, were that the victims were a hair dresser, trader and information technology personnel, and resided with the convicts at Lashibi in Accra but were nationals of Nigeria.

Chief Inspector Sarkwah said Atarhe met Blessing, one of the victims, and proposed to her.

On September 15, this year, Blessing came to Ghana with the two other women and the first accused took them home where he locked them up and had sex with them in turns.

Prosecution said Atarhe also brought other men who also had sex with them, and he (Atarhe) collected Ghc10.00 and Ghc50.00 as fees which he pocketed.

Prosecution said two of the victims escaped and narrated their ordeal to a witness who led them to the police to lodge a complaint.

The police arrested the convicts and rescued the other victim.