Food vendor jailed seven years over human trafficking and prostitution
The Accra Circuit Court Four has sentenced a food vendor to seven years’ imprisonment in hard labour for human trafficking and prostitution.
Gift Chinyere Aminu, 36, a commercial sex worker popularly known as Joy, denied the charges but was convicted after trial.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Issah Achiburi, presenting the facts, said the complainant, ThankGod Iheme, was a Nigerian resident in Accra.
He said Aminu, a Nigerian, resided at Kwame Nkrumah Circle Railways with two other women, Jennifer and Blessing, who are also Nigerians and currently at large.
ASP Achiburi said on October 31, 2025, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters received an original case docket from the Kaneshie Police Station through the Director-General of CID.
He said Aminu, together with two victims, Jennifer Izi, a.k.a. Lovina, and Aissah Mohammed, a.k.a. Gold, were brought before the Unit.
The Court heard that sometime earlier, Izi called Iheme and told him that a Nigerian woman had brought them from Togo to Ghana and forced them into prostitution.
She also told him that the woman subjected them to severe beatings when they failed to engage in prostitution.
Upon receipt of the case, Aminu was re-arrested and, during interrogation, admitted knowing both victims.
The prosecution said Aminu told the Police that she worked and lived in Rafineri, a suburb of Lome, Togo, where she engaged in prostitution.
She said while there, she received Izi and Mohammed from Jennifer and Blessing to engage them in prostitution, manage them and collect the proceeds for onward transmission to Jennifer and Blessing.
ASP Achiburi said Aminu took the victims to a shrine after receiving them and made them swear an oath that should they run away with her money, they would run mad.
He said while in Togo, a Police-led operation forced Aminu to relocate to Ghana with the victims, where she continued to force them into prostitution at Kwame Nkrumah Circle.
The Court heard that in Ghana, Izi realised she was pregnant and informed Aminu, who gave her medicine to cause an abortion.
ASP Achiburi said investigations further revealed that Aminu collected 300,000.00 Naira from Mohammed and 250,000.00 Naira from Izi.
He said after investigations, Aminu was charged with the offences and put before the Court.
The Court, presided over by Madam Lawrencia Awura Abena Darkowaa Gyamfi, also ordered Aminu to compensate her victims.
GNA
