2 Ghanaian women trafficked to Nigeria return to Ghana

 The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Lydia Yaako Donkor, has con­firmed the safe return of two Gha­naian women who were kidnapped and trafficked to Nigeria.

She said the victims, Evelyn Serwaa Konadu and Anastasia Baidoo, have since returned safely to Ghana, after they were rescued last week in a coordinated operation involving the Ghana Police Service, the Nigeria Police Force and the National Signals Bureau.

Briefing journalists at a news conference in Accra on Friday, DCOP Donkor said “both women are in stable condition and will receive the necessary medical attention.”

She noted that standard police procedures would be followed, including taking statements from the victims to support ongoing investigations.

DCOP Donkor lauded the collaboration between the Ghana and Nigeria police services, and the support of the National Signals Bureau, describing the operation as “a testament to the power of in­ternational cooperation in the fight against transnational crime.”

She then cautioned the public on the growing menace of romance scams and other forms of cyber fraud.

 “We urge everyone to exercise heightened caution when interact­ing with unknown persons online. Please refrain from sharing personal or financial information and report any suspicious behaviour to the Po­lice immediately,” DCOP Donkor advised.

She further reminded the public of the Ghana Police Service’s core mandate to prevent, detect, apprehend, and prosecute crime, reiterating that the Service “remains steadfast in ensuring that Ghana remains a safe and secure place for all.”

Prior to their rescue, a dis­tressing video circulated on social media, showing one of the victims tied with a rope and being violently assaulted by unidentified men.

Subsequent investigations con­firmed that the woman in the video was a Ghanaian, who had been lured to Nigeria under the false pre­text of a romantic relationship, and was abducted, physically assaulted, and filmed, with the footage later sent to her family alongside a ran­som demand.

Police inquiries later uncovered that another Ghanaian woman had also fallen prey to the same criminal network, and was held at the same location. Both victims endured sim­ilar mistreatment while in captivity.

The families of the two women were reported to have paid part of the ransom before the Ghanaian and Nigerian authorities intervened and freed them

 BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG

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