The Achimota Circuit Court has convicted two individuals for trafficking two women from Nigeria to Ghana and forcing them into prostitution.
Jessica Daniel, 24, a hairdresser also known as Blessing, and Kelvin Johnson, 30, a Bitcoin trader known as Alaska, were found guilty after a trial and convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and two counts of human trafficking.
The court, presided over by Akosua Anokyewaa Adjepong, deferred sentencing until tomorrow, April 30, 2025, pending the outcome of a pregnancy test for Jessica, the first accused.
In her ruling on Tuesday, the judge stated that the prosecution had successfully proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The prosecution called three witnesses, while the accused also presented a witness.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Isaac Babayi, who led the prosecution, informed the court that the complainant was Chief Calistus Elozipuwa, a member of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) in Ghana.
The accused persons, Jessica Daniel and Kelvin Johnson, are both Nigerian nationals.
According to the prosecution, on July 1, 2024, the complainant rescued the victims, Gloria Vincent (alias Grace), 20, and Gloria Igbetar (alias Diamond), 25, who were engaging in prostitution.
Upon questioning, the victims revealed that they had been deceived and transported from Nigeria to Ghana by Jessica under the pretext of securing domestic servant jobs. However, once in Ghana, they were coerced into prostitution.
The prosecution also revealed that Johnson had connected the victims to an agent in Nigeria, and upon arrival in Accra, Johnson took them to an apartment where they were forced to work as prostitutes. Jessica demanded GH₵8,000 from each of them to secure their freedom.
Both accused were later arrested. During investigations, they admitted to recruiting the victims for prostitution, and the proceeds from the exploitation were collected by Johnson and handed over to Jessica for safekeeping.
Further investigations revealed that Jessica used Johnson as a cover, fearing the victims would harm her if they discovered she was their mistress.
The victims were able to pay the GH₵8,000 each to the convicts, which both Jessica and Johnson admitted to receiving.
ALSO READ: