Authorities in Ghana have arrested 13 suspected commercial sex workers—12 of them Nigerian nationals—during a targeted operation against human trafficking and illegal brothels in the Eastern Region city of Koforidua.
The New Juaben South Municipal Police Command also apprehended a landlord accused of renting out property for prostitution activities and a bouncer allegedly linked to the operation.
Victim's Complaint Triggered Raid
The arrests, carried out on February 10, followed a complaint filed four days earlier by a 30-year-old Nigerian woman, Stella Godwill, who told police she had been trafficked from Nigeria to Ghana by a woman identified as Christabel Simon Monday.
According to Municipal Police Commander Superintendent Ransford Nsiah, the complainant alleged she was required to meet a daily earnings target of 400 Ghana cedis but managed only 250 cedis on the day in question. She claimed Monday and her boyfriend, Simon Kwarteng, assaulted her for failing to meet the quota.
"Last Sunday, we received a complaint from another Nigerian lady that she had been assaulted by her mistress, whom we normally call a 'queen mother,'" Superintendent Nsiah said. "The assault happened because she could not meet the daily target of GH¢400."
Brothel Operation Uncovered
Acting on the report, police arrested Monday and subsequently raided a suspected brothel in the Dabiasem area, where 12 additional suspects were taken into custody. Condoms were recovered during the operation.
Authorities also arrested a man who allegedly converted his residential property into a commercial brothel, charging occupants GH¢25 daily for lodging.
"So far, about 15 persons, the youngest aged between 15 and 32 years, are in police custody and will be put before the court immediately," Superintendent Nsiah confirmed.
The minor among the suspects has been separated for protection, and authorities are coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare.
Legal Consequences
Assistant Superintendent of Police Augustine Kusi Asante, the Municipal Crime Officer, warned property owners against renting premises for illegal enterprises. He cited Section 277 of Ghana's Criminal Offences Act, 1960, which criminalizes brothel operations and prescribes penalties including fines or imprisonment.
The suspects face charges under Sections 273, 274, and 277 of the Act, which prohibit prostitution, human trafficking, and brothel keeping.
Broader Trafficking Concerns
Police expressed alarm over the involvement of minors in commercial sex work and renewed calls for public cooperation in dismantling trafficking networks. The operation forms part of broader efforts to curb exploitation in the Eastern Region, where previous investigations uncovered syndicates that allegedly lured young Nigerian women with false promises of hospitality jobs before forcing them into prostitution.
Investigations remain ongoing.
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