A 32-year-old Nigerian commercial sex worker, Patience Gideon, also known as Gold, has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Tarkwa Circuit Court for trafficking four young Nigerian women into Ghana and forcing them into prostitution.
The presiding judge, Her Honour Hathia Ama Manu, Esq., found the accused guilty on four separate counts, including human trafficking, illegal abortion, assault, and engaging in prostitution. The court handed her a total of 29 years in prison, but ordered the sentences to run concurrently, resulting in an effective jail term of 20 years with hard labour.
According to the prosecution, led by Detective Chief Superintendent Adams Mumuni and ASP Samuel Ahiabor, the victims — Jennifer Terewuba (20), Abigail Timothy (21), Happiness Kowuka (27), and Rejoice Isaac (30) — are Nigerian nationals who work as apprentice hairdressers. They were trafficked from Benue State in Nigeria to Ghana by the accused on March 22 and March 27, 2025.
The court was told that the accused lured the women under the pretense of offering them employment as bar attendants at her drinking spot in Moseaso near Asankrangwa in the Western Region. However, upon their arrival, she forced them into prostitution.
The prosecution detailed harrowing accounts of abuse. When the victims refused to engage in sex work, Gideon reportedly shaved their pubic hair, cut their fingernails, and made them take oaths involving spiritual threats — warning them that they would go mad if they did not comply. Fearing for their lives and safety, the victims were compelled to engage in prostitution, with all proceeds being taken by the accused.
One of the victims, Abigail Timothy, informed the accused upon arrival in Ghana that she was pregnant. On March 28, 2025, the accused administered a herbal concoction to her, causing an illegal abortion — an offence under Section 58 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Another victim, Happiness Kowuka, fell ill and was later diagnosed with HIV/AIDS at a hospital. When Gideon discovered the diagnosis, she relocated the victim to a different area to continue prostitution, collecting all earnings. On April 28, 2025, Gideon assaulted Happiness after collecting GH₵300 and accusing her of not making enough money. The accused inflicted a facial injury on the victim and confiscated her hospital-issued antiretroviral drugs.
Kowuka subsequently confided in the other victims, and together they reported their ordeal to the Asankrangwa Police. Medical tests confirmed Kowuka’s HIV/AIDS status, and she was reissued her medication. The accused was arrested, and in her caution statement, admitted to the offences in the presence of an independent witness.
The charges brought against Gideon were as follows:
Count One: Human Trafficking — She was convicted under Sections 1 and 2 of the Human Trafficking Act, 2005 (Act 694) as amended by Act 784, and sentenced to 20 years with hard labour.
Count Two: Illegal Abortion — Convicted under Section 58 of the Criminal Offences Act, and sentenced to 5 years with hard labour.
Count Three: Assault — Convicted under Section 84 of the Criminal Offences Act, and sentenced to 2 years with hard labour.
Count Four: Prostitution — Convicted under Section 274(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, as substituted by NLCD 398, and sentenced to 2 months with hard labour.
All sentences will run concurrently.
Her Honour Hathia Ama Manu further ordered that the victims be handed over to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service Headquarters to facilitate their safe repatriation to Nigeria.
The court’s decision sends a strong signal about Ghana’s commitment to fighting human trafficking and protecting the rights of vulnerable individuals, especially women and children.
