A 32-year-old Nigerian commercial sex worker, Patience Gideon, also known as Gold, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Tarkwa Circuit Court for human trafficking and related offences.
The sentence, which covers four counts, will run concurrently.
The prosecution, led by Detective Chief Superintendent Adams Mumuni and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Samuel Ahiabor, secured the conviction before Her Honour Hathia Ama Manu, Esq., who presided over the case.
Gideon was found guilty of trafficking four young Nigerian women—Jennifer Terewuba (20), Abigail Timothy (21), Happiness Kowuka (27), and Rejoice Isaac (30)—from Benue State, Nigeria, to Moseaso near Asankrangwa under false pretenses.
She had promised them jobs as bar attendants but forced them into prostitution upon arrival.
On Count One, she was convicted under the Human Trafficking Act and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with hard labour (IHL).
On Count Two, for unlawfully administering herbal concoctions to cause an abortion on victim Abigail Timothy, she was sentenced to five years IHL.
Count Three, which involved assaulting victim Happiness Kowuka, earned her two years IHL, while Count Four, engaging in prostitution, brought a two-month IHL sentence.
According to the court, the victims were forcibly initiated into sex work, including rituals involving shaving their pubic hair and making them swear oaths under duress.
Fearing the threats issued by Gideon, they complied with her demands and were forced to hand over all earnings from their sex work.
The abuse escalated when one of the victims, Happiness Kowuka, was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. The accused allegedly relocated her to continue prostitution and later assaulted her over an amount of GH¢300, leaving her with facial injuries and confiscating her medication.
The victims later reported the abuse to the Asankrangwa Police, leading to the accused’s arrest. She confessed to the offences in the presence of an independent witness and was subsequently charged.
The court has ordered that all four victims be returned to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Headquarters to facilitate their safe return and reintegration in Nigeria.
This case underscores the ongoing threat of human trafficking across West African borders and highlights the importance of cross-border law enforcement cooperation.
The post Sex Worker Jailed 20 Years for Human Trafficking, other offence at Tarkwa appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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