Baba Issa Zakaria, a 25-year-old Okada rider from Agomanya in Ghana’s Eastern Region, has been sentenced to ten years in prison for trafficking Nigerian women into the country for prostitution.
The Odumase Circuit Court found Zakaria guilty of luring young Nigerian women into Lower Manya Krobo, housing them in various locations in Agomanya, and forcing them into commercial sex work.
He pleaded guilty to several charges, including sex extortion (sextortion), use of trafficked persons, and trading in prostitution.
He received ten years for sextortion, five years for trafficking, and was fined GHC 2,400, with sentences to run concurrently.
Zakaria is believed to have been the mastermind behind the illegal operation since 2024.
According to court documents, he managed multiple online groups and platforms to attract both clients and exploit the trafficked women for profit.
His accomplice, 26-year-old Ella Elizabeth, also pleaded guilty to trading in prostitution and was fined GHC 2,400 or face one year in jail.
During interrogation, Ella confirmed Baba had trafficked her and several other women from Nigeria.
Police investigations revealed Zakaria charged each trafficked woman GHC 150 weekly as an agent fee. One of the trafficked women, Ella, had a dispute with a regular client, Desmond Agmortey, which escalated into violence.
Zakaria arrived at the scene with a gang, attacked Agmortey with machetes, stripped him naked, and filmed the assault. The group demanded GHC 1,200 to release him, threatening to publish the video if the ransom wasn’t paid. The victim’s brother complied and later reported the incident to the police.
The trial judge emphasized the serious and exploitative nature of Zakaria’s crimes, handing down the sentence as a deterrent to others.
Meanwhile, Police believe that several other trafficked women are still engaged in prostitution in Agomanya, with clients coming from surrounding communities.