Two Nigerian women accused of human trafficking remanded

Two Nigerian women who recruited six girls from Nigeria into prostitution in Ghana were on Monday remanded into Police custody by a Cape Coast circuit court.

The accused Favour Patrick, 26, and Grace Tamaraemi, 25 pleaded not guilty and would re-appear in court on Wednesday August 1, 2018 for trial.

Prosecuting, Counsel for the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Mr Philip Andoh told the court that  Patrick and Tamaraemi are both Nigerian Nationals who had lived in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region for the past three and four years respectively.

He said in May this year, they moved to Assin Fosu in the Central Region.

With the help of one ‘Queen’ and ‘Ghana Boy’, both residents of Nigeria and Ghana respectively,  recruited five girls from different parts of Nigeria  under the pretext of providing them with lucrative jobs as shop attendants in Ghana but with the intent to exploit them through prostitution.

The victims are Precious Farouk, 20, Amanda Joy, 20, Blessing Johnson, 21, Joy Nzewuihe, 20, Nwoye Marry-Ann, 20 and Queen Johnson. Prosecution said the victims were received at various times in Kumasi where they were forced into prostitution.

He told the court that on Thursday June 7, 2018, Patrick and Tamaraemi together with their victims relocated to Assin Fosu to continue their business whiles Nzewuihe and Johnson arrived on Wednesday, June 13.

   Mr Andoh told the court that Patrick and Tamaraemi made the victims understood that they were indebted to them to the tune of GHc7, 000.00 each which they were to supposed to pay through the proceeds of their prostitution.

   According to the prosecution, the victims were given soaps and a cream while a ‘juju’ man from Kumasi forced them to use them and were threatened with a bond that they would go mad if they failed to use the soap and cream.

   While in Assin Fosu, Nwoye, Joy and Johnson gathered courage and informed the Assemblyman and a Unit Committee member of the area about their plight who in turn informed immigration officials.

 He said a swoop was conducted on June 19, 2018 where Patrick and Tamaraemi were arrested and the five trafficked girls rescued.

Source;   GNA