A Ghanaian court has sentenced two Nigerian nationals to 20 years in prison each for trafficking fellow Nigerians into the country and forcing them into cybercrime.
The convicts, 29-year-old Kingsley Ndifon and 25-year-old Emmanuel Akong, were found guilty of human trafficking and causing harm by Circuit Court ‘B’ in Tema. According to the Ghana Police Service, the pair lured victims from Nigeria with promises of employment but allegedly held them captive and compelled them to engage in internet fraud.
The suspects were arrested in August 2023 after police received a distress call that several people were being held against their will at a residence in Tema.
A police operation led to the rescue of 11 Nigerian nationals, while officers recovered 16 laptops and an iPad from the premises. Investigators said the victims had their phones and identity documents confiscated and were forced to carry out cyber-related crimes.
Police also revealed that the victims were fed only once a day and were allegedly subjected to severe physical abuse whenever they failed to comply.
According to the Ghana Police Service, “They were allegedly beaten with laptop cables and machetes, resulting in injuries, including cutlass wounds.”.Following their conviction, the court sentenced both men to 20 years’ imprisonment for human trafficking and 10 years for causing harm, with the sentences to run concurrently.
The Tema Regional Police Command says it remains committed to tackling human trafficking and cyber-enabled crimes, while urging the public to report suspected cases to law enforcement authorities.
