Okolo Chukwukadibia Jackson
A 31-year-old Nigerian national, Okolo Chukwukadibia Jackson, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour for human trafficking by the Kweikuma Gender Court near Sekondi.
The convict pleaded guilty to the charges of human trafficking and illegal entry, and the court, presided by Her Honour Naa Amerley Akowuah, sentenced him on his own plea.
The Nigerian was hauled before the court on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 for trafficking a 16-year-old girl and other three females from Onitsha, Anambra State.
He was arraigned by the Western Regional Command of the Ghana Immigration Service, led by its Regional Prosecutor, Senior Inspector Terah Allou.
The court also fined the convict 500 penalty units and in default serve additional six months jail term.
Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecution informed the court that, the accused entered the country illegally in 2021 and has since remained so until his arrest at Aboi Nkwanta, Asankrangwa, in the Western Region.
According to the 16-year-old rescued victim, one Madam Ella, an accomplice of the prime suspect recruited them in Nigeria under the guise of sending them to Dubai to serve as sales girls.
Investigations revealed that, an amount of 668,200 Naira was sent by the convict from Ghana to the said Madam Ella, to cover the cost of the victims’ recruitment, lodging, feeding, and transportation from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Asankrangwa in the Western Region.
The prosecution said the victims arrived in Lagos on Sunday, February 10, 2024 through an agent and were handed over to a driver referred to as I.K., who accommodated them for the night.
I.K. then transported the victims, including the 16-year-old girl, to Accra on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, the prosecution revealed.
On the night of Thursday, February 15, 2024, I.K. arranged for Asankrangwa-bound bus for the victims and gave Mr. Okolo Chukwukadibia’s contact number to the driver to call the convict upon arrival.
The prosecution mentioned that after the accused had received the victims in the morning of Friday, February 16, 2024, he singled the 16-year-old girl out and took her to a shrine to swear with an egg that, she will never run away or disclose whatsoever ordeal she suffers to anyone, else she will die.
The victim was finally taken to a warehouse cum brothel and handed over to another Nigerian woman nicknamed ‘Madam Special,’ in charge of a brothel.
The convict paid to Madam Special, an undisclosed amount of money in addition to packages of condom, after which the victim was directed to a room and ordered to begin working as a prostitute.
The victim was further informed that, the entire proceeds from her illicit trade would go to the convict.
However, the victim managed to escape from the traffickers and chanced upon a Good Samaritan (name withheld), who led her to the Asankrangwa Sector Command of the Ghana Immigration Service.
The Commander, C/Supt. Kwabena Agyei, upon receiving the report, arranged to rescue the rest of the victims and arrested the perpetrators. He managed to arrest the convict but could not grab Madam Special.
During interrogation, Mr. Okolo Chukwukadibia Jackson admitted to having sent the other three victims to one Madam Gifty, who is also at large, in exchange for GH¢8,500.00.
The Western Regional Command of the Service, in its quest to arrest the rest of the syndicate and be able to save the other three Nigerian girls, has put its investigative machinery across the region on high alert.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi