Ghana jails Nigerian trafficking leader Chukwudi Nwachukwu for 10 years; ordered to pay GH₵15,000 restitution to 10 rescued victims.
A Ghanaian court has sentenced Nigerian human trafficking ring leader, Chukwudi Nwachukwu, to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour, following months of intensive investigations and surveillance by Ghanaian authorities.
The Achimota Circuit Court in Accra, presided over by Her Honour Mrs. Akosua Anokyewaa Adjepong, delivered the verdict after finding Nwachukwu guilty of trafficking ten young Nigerian girls, aged between 15 and 18 years, into Ghana for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
In addition to his prison term, the court ordered Nwachukwu to pay restitution of GH₵15,000 to each of the ten victims. The ruling is being hailed as a landmark judgment in the fight against human trafficking across West Africa.
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Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, commended the Ghanaian judiciary for ensuring that justice was served. She praised the collaborative efforts of the Ghanaian authorities, NIDCOM, and Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in bringing the trafficker to justice.
Dabiri-Erewa expressed relief that the ten rescued girls have since been reintegrated and reunited with their families in Nigeria, thanks to NAPTIP’s rehabilitation programs. She reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working with international partners to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable citizens abroad.
This sentencing marks a significant victory in the ongoing regional fight against human trafficking and reinforces the call for stronger cross-border collaboration to prevent similar crimes in the future.