Nigerian sex trafficker sentenced to 5 years in prison

Rose Ikem, a 40-year-old Nigerian woman, was jailed by an Asokwa Circuit Court in the Ashanti Region for trafficking four young women from Nigeria to Ghana for paid sex.

The victims, who were held in a “locked room” in Konongo, were intimidated with voodoo threats and beatings by the convict after being forced to take an oath.

They were rescued by the police and their trafficker, Rose Ikem, was sentenced to five years in prison with hard labor.

The court further ordered him to pay compensation of GH¢6,000 to each of the victims.

The prosecutor, ASP Stephen Ofori, told the court presided over by Fred Obikyere that Rose lured the victims, aged between 17 and 25, from various villages in Nigeria to Ghana in January this year (2024) with the promise of 'a decent job.

Upon arrival in Ghana, ASP Ofori said Rose Ikem forced women to take oaths and organized sexual exploitation in Konongo, Asante-Akim Municipality.

According to him, each victim was given a target of GH¢500 to pay to the trafficker, who then kept them in a locked room in Konongo.

ASP Ofori said investigations began when a good Samaritan, on April 23, 2024, alerted the police, claiming that young women had been trafficked from Nigeria to Ghana for exploitation and sexual abuse.

He narrated that the police acted quickly and went to the area of ​​Konongo SSNIT building, where they ambushed Rose Ikem after detecting that the victims were locked in a room of her residence.

The prosecutor said that when Rose came out, she was arrested and forced to open the door, allowing the victims to be rescued.

ASP Ofori said one of the victims was mistreated during his rescue.

He disclosed that investigations revealed that one victim worked and paid GH¢500 per day for three months, accumulating GH¢45,000, another worked and paid GH¢500 per day for two months, accumulating GH¢30,000 ¢, and the other two worked for two weeks. and paid GH¢500 per day, accumulating GH¢7,000 each.

Rose Ikem was charged with human trafficking in violation of Article 2 (182) of Law 694/05, as amended by Law 724/09, and assault in violation of Article 84 of law 29/60.

In her warning, she denied the accusations. A search of his home recovered GH¢10,000 and four mobile phones belonging to the victims, according to the prosecution.

By Ernest Kofi Adu