The Ghana Police Service has rescued at least 39 Nigerians in the Central Region who were victims of human trafficking.
The police said the victims had been kept in a walled house, maltreated and prevented from leaving the compound.
A spokeswoman for the Central Regional Police, Detective Superintendent of Police Irene Oppong, said the victims were brought in by their masters from Nigeria. She said some were then asked to engage in cybercrimes and assigned targets to meet.
DSP Oppong said two of the suspects, Paul Okafor and Duru Favour – both Nigerian nationals – have been arrested. However, a third, Michael Arisuezo, is still on the run.
Organised syndicate
In a statement, the Central Region Police Command said it dispatched some officers to the location immediately on receiving details of the ring from an informant.
The police said a patrol team was sent “to Gomoa Pomadze, where they met three Ghanaians in the company of Charles Ikorohk, aged 21, and a Nigerian. Charles Ikorohk told the team that he arrived in the country from Nigeria to visit a friend but couldn’t trace him and got stranded.”
The victim narrated that he met one Uzo at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange area, who in turn introduced him to Arisuezo. The police said he was transported to Winneba and locked up in a room together with other young Nigerians.
The victim, the police said, confessed to being abused by the masters any time he or any of the others failed to meet an assigned cybercrime target.
Hunt for third man
The police further said that the two suspects now in detention are helping with investigations towards apprehending the third suspect.
The police command said Arisuezo is the main suspect in the human-trafficking operation and called on the public to help with information that could lead to his arrest.
Meanwhile, the 39 people rescued have been handed over to the Central Region anti-human trafficking unit.
E A Alanore
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