Ghana jails Nigerian woman for human, sex trafficking

A Circuit Court in Tamale, northern Ghana has sentenced a Nigerian woman to five years in prison for human trafficking and forced prostitution.

Blessing Favour, 41, a resident of Tamale city, pleaded guilty to human and sex trafficking and pleaded for leniency.

Favour told the court she regretted her actions, adding that she was a single mother.

Justice Alexander Oworae, however, handed her a five-year jail term, according to Ghanaweb on Wednesday.

The Nigerian collapsed in the dock after the judge pronounced his judgment. Oworae said the verdict would serve as a deterrent for others.

Favour pleaded guilty to charges of human trafficking and forced prostitution on Monday.

She had smuggled young women from Nigeria under the pretext that they were coming to work in Ghana but ended up in a brothel in Tamale and “Dollar Power” a mining community in the Savannah Region.

One of the victims who was pursued by Favour when she tried to escape reportedly fell into the hands of the police.

The victim saw the police while she was being chased and raised an alarm leading to the arrest of the suspect.