Two Nigerians have been sentenced to 20 years in prison each by a Ghanaian court for trafficking fellow Nigerians into the country under the guise of securing employment for them and subsequently forcing them into cybercrime.
The convicts, Kingsley Ndifon, 29, and Emmanuel Akong, 25, were found guilty of human trafficking and causing harm by Circuit Court ‘B’ in Tema, Ghana, following a full trial.
The Ghana Police Service disclosed this in a statement published on its official Facebook page on WWednesday According to the police, Ndifon and Akong recruited the victims from Nigeria with promises of employment in Ghana but allegedly confined them after their arrival and forced them to engage in internet fraud.
The victims were rescued on August 20, 2023, after the Afienya District Police Command received a distress call that several people were being held against their will at a house in Sebrepor, a suburb of Tema.
A police patrol team, assisted by residents, raided the premises and rescued 11 Nigerian nationals who had been held there.
The two suspects were arrested during the operation, while police recovered 16 laptops and an iPad from the house.
Investigators subsequently established that the victims had travelled from Nigeria after being promised legitimate employment but were instead subjected to forced cybercrime activities.
The police said the suspects seized the victims’ mobile phones and identity cards and compelled them to use laptops supplied by the traffickers to conduct internet fraud.
The victims were also allegedly subjected to harsh living conditions, including being fed only once a day.
Those who refused or failed to comply with the suspects’ instructions were allegedly subjected to severe physical abuse.
“They were allegedly beaten with laptop cables and machetes, resulting in injuries, including cutlass wounds,” the Ghana Police Service said.
Police investigators also found the victims in malnourished and poor health conditions when they were rescued.
Ndifon and Akong were subsequently arraigned before Circuit Court ‘B’ in Tema, presided over by Justice Naomi Adusei Amamiampong Kucour.
They faced charges including conspiracy to commit crime, human trafficking and causing harm. At the end of the trial, the court convicted both men of human trafficking and causing harm.
The court sentenced each of them to 20 years’ imprisonment for human trafficking and an additional 10 years for causing harm.
However, the sentences were ordered to run concurrently, meaning each convict will serve a total of 20 years in prison.
Reacting to the judgment, the Tema Regional Police Command said it remained committed to tackling human trafficking, cybercrime and other forms of abuse.
“The Tema Regional Police Command remains committed to combating human trafficking, cyber-related crimes and all forms of abuse,” the police said.
The command urged members of the public to promptly report suspected cases of human trafficking and other criminal activities to the police.
(The Whistler)