•The convicts, Kingsley Ndifon and Emmanuel Akong
Two Nigerians have been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment each by a Ghanaian court for trafficking fellow Nigerians into Ghana under the guise of offering them jobs before allegedly forcing them into cybercrime.
The suspects, Kingsley Ndifon, 29, and Emmanuel Akong, 25, were found guilty of human trafficking and causing harm by Circuit Court ‘B’ in Tema after a full trial, reports The PUNCH.
According to a statement issued by the Ghana Police Service on Facebook yesterday, and seen by our correspondent on Friday the two men lured Nigerian nationals to Ghana with promises of employment before holding them captive and compelling them to engage in internet fraud.
The suspects were arrested on August 20, 2023, at Sebrepor, a suburb of Tema, after the Afienya District Police Command received a distress call that several people were being held against their will.
A police patrol team, assisted by residents, stormed the house and rescued 11 Nigerian nationals who had been confined there.
The officers also arrested the two suspects and recovered 16 laptops and an iPad during a search of the premises.
Police investigations revealed that the victims had been recruited from Nigeria with promises of employment but were instead forced to engage in cyber-related criminal activities after arriving in Ghana.
According to the police, the suspects confiscated the victims’ mobile phones and identity cards before compelling them to carry out internet fraud using laptops provided to them.
The investigation further revealed that the victims were fed only once daily and were subjected to severe physical abuse whenever they failed to comply with instructions.
“They were allegedly beaten with laptop cables and machetes, resulting in injuries, including cutlass wounds,” the Ghana Police Service said.
Investigators also found that the victims were malnourished and in poor health when they were rescued.
The two men were subsequently arraigned before Circuit Court ‘B’ in Tema, presided over by Her Honour Naomi Adusei Amamiampong Kucour, on charges of conspiracy to commit crime, human trafficking and causing harm.
At the conclusion of the trial, the court convicted both defendants of human trafficking and causing harm.
Each was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for human trafficking and 10 years’ imprisonment for causing harm, with both sentences ordered to run concurrently, meaning they will each serve 20 years in prison.
Reacting to the judgment, the Tema Regional Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to combating human trafficking and cyber-enabled crimes.
“The Tema Regional Police Command remains committed to combating human trafficking, cyber-related crimes and all forms of abuse,” the police said.
The Command also urged members of the public to promptly report suspected cases of human trafficking and other criminal activities to the police.
