A Nigerian national, Chukwudi Nwachukwu, has been sentenced to ten years in prison with hard labour by the Achimota Circuit Court in Ghana after being found guilty of trafficking young Nigerian girls to Ghana for prostitution.
The conviction and sentencing were delivered by Justice Akosua Anokyewaa Adjepong, who presided over the case. The court also ordered the convict to pay restitution of fifteen thousand Ghanaian cedis to each of the ten victims.
According to court documents, Nwachukwu was the leader of a human trafficking network that lured young Nigerian girls between the ages of fifteen and eighteen to Ghana under false promises of good jobs and better living conditions. Upon arrival, the victims were forced into prostitution and kept under strict control by the traffickers.
The case came to light earlier this year when ten girls were rescued through a joint operation by the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, Ghana Chapter, in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana and Ghanaian security agencies.
The rescue operation was coordinated by the NIDO Ghana Board Chairman, Chief Callistus Elozieuwa, with the support of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, led by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Hon Abike Dabiri Erewa. A delegation from the Imo State Government, headed by the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon Amara Chyna Iwuanyanwu, also participated in the safe return of the victims.
After their rescue, the girls were brought back to Nigeria and handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for rehabilitation. They have since been reintegrated into society and reunited with their families.
Reacting to the judgment, Hon Abike Dabiri Erewa commended the Ghanaian authorities and Justice Akosua Anokyewaa Adjepong for ensuring that justice was served after several months of investigations and surveillance. She described the verdict as a victory for the victims and a strong warning to human traffickers operating across borders.
In a statement issued by Gabriel Odu of the Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NiDCOM, Dabiri Erewa said that justice had finally been served. She reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to supporting efforts aimed at eliminating human trafficking and protecting vulnerable Nigerians abroad.
“Justice has been served, and we appreciate the collaborative effort between Ghanaian authorities, the Nigerian community in Ghana and our own agencies at home. This case should serve as a deterrent to anyone involved in such inhumane acts,” she said.
She also called on parents and guardians to remain vigilant and to take greater responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of their children. Dabiri Erewa warned that traffickers often exploit the desperation of young people by making false promises of employment or education abroad, only to subject them to hardship and abuse.
The sentencing of Chukwudi Nwachukwu has been widely praised by both Nigerian and Ghanaian authorities. The judgment is being viewed as a major success in the ongoing collaboration between the two countries to combat human trafficking across West Africa.
Officials from NiDCOM and NAPTIP expressed confidence that the case would encourage other victims to come forward and that traffickers operating in the region would realise that they could no longer escape justice.
The Nigerian Government has also reiterated its commitment to working with international partners to strengthen border control, improve awareness campaigns and provide better support systems for victims of trafficking.
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