A circuit court in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region has remanded into prison custody two Nigerian women suspected of being involved in an international human trafficking ring, recruiting young ladies into prostitution.
The accused persons, Sandra Mark and Chineye Ukwuona – both residents of Adum, the central business district of Kumasi – were arrested when they allegedly attempted to give away into prostitution, 20-year-old Precious Uwakwem, a Nigerian from Imo State, who was lured to Ghana by one of the leaders of the prostitution ring.
Police prosecutor Inspector Asare told the court, presided over by Lydia Osei Marfo, that the complainant in the case, Albert Okoe Harding, is a laboratory technician and resident of North Suntreso, whilst the accused persons are commercial sex workers at Adum.
The prosecution claimed that one of the accused persons, Chineye Ukwuona, knowing the economic condition of the victim, made a false representation through a telephone conversation to Precious Uwakwem that Sandra Mark needed some girls to be sales attendants and cleaners at her boutique in Kumasi.
Inspector Asare said the girl, who was in dire need of money to write her WASSCE remedial examination, agreed to come to Ghana and take up one of the sales attendants’ position.
According to him, first accused person, Sandra Mark, who was working through the second accused, Chineye Ukwuona, provided the victim money for transportation to Ghana.
On July 17, 2017, the police prosecutor narrated, the victim set off from Nigeria and arrived in Ghana on July 19, 2017 and she was taken to a brothel at Adum.
He disclosed that soon it became apparent to the victim that she had been deceived and sold off by the accused persons, upon setting her eyes on some of her female compatriots at the brothel.
Inspector Asare continued that the victim eventually escaped when she heard the accused persons telling neighbours that they would make her to solicit for sex that very night.
Whiles on the way, the prosecutor asserted that the 20-year-old victim met the complainant and confided in him. She later requested him to give her any assistance possible for the accused persons to answer for their action.
The matter was reported to the police and both human traffickers were arrested, said prosecutor, who added that Sandra Mark admitted in her caution statement that she asked the second accused person, Chineye Ukwuona, to recruit the victim for her.
She claimed that the second accused person had earlier recruited two other victims who were already working for her.
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