Rose Ikem
Rose Ikem, a 40-year-old Nigerian woman, has been jailed by a circuit court at Asokwa in the Ashanti Region for trafficking four young women from Nigeria to Ghana for paid sex.
The victims, who were kept in a “locked-up room” at Konongo, were intimidated with voodoo threats and beatings by the convict after they were forced to swear an oath.
They have now been rescued by the police, and their trafficker, Rose Ikem has been sentenced to five years in prison with hard labour.
She was additionally ordered by the court to pay compensation of GH¢6,000 to each of the victims.
The prosecutor, ASP Stephen Ofori, told the court presided over by Fred Obikyere that Rose lured the victims, aged between 17 and 25, from various villages in Nigeria to Ghana in January of this year (2024) with the promise of a decent job.
Upon arrival in Ghana, ASP Ofori stated that Rose Ikem compelled the women to swear an oath and organised sexual exploitation across Konongo in the Asante-Akim Municipality.
According to him, each victim was given a target of GH¢500 to make and pay to the trafficker, who then kept them in a locked-up room at Konongo.
ASP Ofori said investigations began when a Good Samaritan, on April 23, 2024, alerted the police, saying some young women had been trafficked from Nigeria to Ghana for sexual exploitation and abuse.
He narrated that police acted swiftly and proceeded to Konongo SSNIT building area, where they laid ambush for Rose Ikem after detecting that the victims were locked up in a room at her residence.
The prosecutor stated that when Rose emerged, she was arrested and forced to open the door, allowing the victims to be rescued.
ASP Ofori said one of the victims had been abused when they were rescued.
He disclosed that investigations revealed that one victim worked and paid GH¢500 daily for three months, accumulating to GH$45,000, another worked and paid GH¢500 daily for two months, accumulating to GH¢30,000, and the remaining two worked for two weeks and paid GH¢500 daily, accumulating to GH¢7,000 each.
Rose Ikem was charged with human trafficking in violation of Section 2 (182) of Act 694/05, as amended by Act 724/09, and assault in violation of Section 84 of Act 29/60.
In her caution statement, she denied the charges. A search of her home found GH¢10,000 and four mobile phones belonging to the victims, according to the prosecution.
By Ernest Kofi Adu