Two men have each been sentenced to 20 years in prison after a Tema court found them guilty of trafficking Nigerian nationals into Ghana and forcing them into cybercrime under abusive conditions.
The Tema Regional Police Command announced that Kingsley Ndifon, 29, and Emmanuel Akong, 25, were convicted on charges of human trafficking and causing harm following investigations that began with a police rescue operation in August 2023.
The case unfolded after the Afienya District Police Command received a distress call reporting that several people were being held against their will in a house at Sebrepor, a suburb of Tema.
A police patrol team responded to the scene and with assistance from residents, rescued 11 Nigerian nationals and arrested the two suspects.
A search of the property uncovered 16 laptops and an iPad, which investigators said were linked to the operation.
According to police, the victims had been lured from Nigeria with promises of employment in Ghana. Instead, they were allegedly confined in the house, stripped of their mobile phones and identification documents, and forced to engage in internet fraud using laptops supplied by the suspects.
Investigators also found that the victims endured harsh living conditions. Police said they were fed only once a day and were subjected to repeated physical abuse when they failed to follow instructions.
The victims were allegedly beaten with laptop charging cables and machetes, leaving some with cutlass wounds. Police added that those rescued were malnourished and in poor health.
After a full trial before the Tema Circuit Court “B”, the two men were found guilty of human trafficking and causing harm.
The court sentenced each of them to 20 years’ imprisonment for human trafficking and 10 years for causing harm, with both sentences to run concurrently, meaning each will serve 20 years in prison.
The Tema Regional Police Command said it remains committed to tackling human trafficking, cyber-enabled crime and abuse.
It also appealed to the public to report suspected trafficking cases, stressing that prompt reporting can help protect vulnerable people from exploitation.
