A night-time operation by the Drug Enforcement Unit of the Northern Police Command resulted in the arrest of 85 individuals involved in drug trafficking and prostitution in Tamale’s central business district.
The suspects were caught using the taxi rank as a base for selling and distributing illegal drugs, targeting local youth.
Their activities also included gambling and dealing in stolen phones.
Police detained several teenagers engaged in prostitution and sexual activities under the Tamale overpass.
Those arrested face charges related to drug offenses and possession, and were found with stolen phones and gambling tools.
The lucrative nature of the illicit activities has led some unemployed young people to turn to sex work for financial support. Some suspects were apprehended for engaging in public sex on motorcycles and unregistered cars.
During the raid, over 50 suspicious young men and 25 prostitutes were screened, and several Nigerian nationals were also arrested.
The authorities seized vehicles, motorbikes, and mobile phones from the suspects. The police are continuing their investigation and working to ensure accountability for those involved in these illegal activities.
Renowned dancer and choreographer Kafayat Shafau, popularly known as Kaffy, has expressed concerns about the misuse of dance for prostitution.
In an interview with Saturday Beats, she emphasized that many girls today use dance as a cover for selling their bodies, overshadowing the true essence of the art form.
“Dance is not about hustling,” Kaffy stated. “Unfortunately, many girls prioritize the sexual aspect over showcasing their actual dance skills. However, the industry is growing rapidly, offering space for various approaches.”
Kaffy highlighted the importance of maintaining boundaries in dance, noting, “Dance is an art form, but the lines can get blurred with sensual expressions. Personally, I set limits; there are clothes I won’t wear and boundaries I won’t cross. Being sexy or sensual doesn’t require nudity.”
She advised aspiring dancers to stay true to their passion without giving in to external pressures. “Choose your path authentically. Don’t feel compelled to alter your body. The dance industry offers numerous career opportunities beyond just music videos and clubs, such as executive roles, coaching, dance science, injury prevention, and therapy.”
Kaffy also addressed the stereotype that women don’t support each other as much as men do. She refuted this notion, stating, “The idea that women don’t support each other is a misconception. Men have their rivalries too. The ‘bro code’ doesn’t eliminate that. This belief stems from popularized perceptions.”
She further explained, “Women are more emotionally expressive, making their disapproval more visible. It’s easier to see when there is tension between women. Both genders are capable of supporting and undermining each other.”
Yeboah, a member of the Ghana Police Service’s night patrol team, has opened up about a distressing incident during which he discovered his wife among prostitutes while on duty.
Compounding this revelation is an HIV diagnosis that has left him grappling with suicidal thoughts, prompting him to seek solace through counseling with Pastor Prince Elisha Osei Kofi.
Married for over six years and with a two-year-old child, Yeboah often found himself away from home at night due to his job responsibilities.
On one such night, responding to complaints about disturbances caused by prostitutes in a neighborhood, he was shocked to find his wife among those detained by his team.
He recounted, “I have been married for more than six years, and I have a two-year-old baby. I am a police officer with the night patrol team. One day, we received a call from our boss that someone had complained about prostitutes disturbing behind his house, so, we were asked to go and arrest them.
“When we got there, I saw one lady, and I got frightened, but upon getting closer, I realized that she was my wife. I had left her at home before I went to work, and the things she was wearing, in fact, she was almost naked,” he explained.
He continued, “So, we arrested all of them and took them to the station. But upon leaving them there, I couldn’t control myself, so I was rushed to the hospital. I didn’t allow my colleagues to know that my wife was part of the group.
“I was released around 4:00 a.m. and went home. In the morning, around 8 a.m., she came home, and I asked her about our child. She said she had left him in the care of the next-door neighbour, so I went to get the child,” he narrated.
He had been preparing for an international assignment that necessitated a medical examination.
However, his plans were derailed when the examination revealed he had contracted HIV, which he believes he got from his wife.
“When I asked her, she questioned me that how much money do I give to her to feed herself and our child. I told her I would go back to her family and report her, but she said I should go ahead.
“Unfortunately, I had to travel abroad, and when I went for my medicals for the travel, I realized I have HIV/AIDS now.
“At that time, I felt like shooting myself to death. What I am going through is unbearable, and I need a counsellor; that is why I am here,” he explained.
Yeboah also mentioned that his wife eventually packed up and left with their child.
Underage girls from Imo State, Nigeria, have been discovered in Ghana, forced into prostitution by their trafficker.
An Instagram video reveals five to six girls, all under 18, being questioned about their situation. They disclosed that a young man had brought them to Ghana. One victim mentioned that they have been in the country for at least two months.
Three of the minors are sisters, reportedly given away by their father, who resides in Imo State.
The situation has sparked widespread calls for the arrest of the trafficker responsible for their exploitation.
Three years ago, some Nigerian teenagers who were trafficked to Ghana to allegedly engage in prostitution urged the country’s authorities to act fast in order to stem the inflow of more girls from neighbouring countries.
The girls, who are aged between 15 and 18, told Citi News they were lured into the country by a syndicate, under the pretext of being employed as shop attendants and house helps.
On arrival in Ghana, however, they were forced to operate as sex workers.
The teenagers, who were made to operate in Kasoa, Budumburam and East Legon, said their lives were threatened when they initially refused to heed the instructions of their “madams”.
The Western Regional Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), working in conjunction with its Axim Sector Command, has apprehended 31 individuals on suspicion of being involved in prostitution and human trafficking in the vicinity of a notorious brothel named Bafana Bafana Resort, situated in the Ellembelle District and Nzema East Municipality of the Western Region.
According to the GIS statement, this two-day intelligence-driven operation commenced with a raid on the aforementioned brothel and nearby drinking establishments and makeshift structures within the Essiama area, leading to the detention of individuals aged between 22 and 37 years.
The operation, which spanned several hours, resulted in the apprehension of 17 individuals, including the proprietor and manager of the establishment, a 62-year-old man named Mr. Kofi Bekoe.
Furthermore, 12 more individuals, along with two suspected accomplices involved in human trafficking, were taken into custody during subsequent mop-up operations conducted on Saturday evening and in the early hours of Sunday.
“In all, the over thirty hours (30hrs) of sustained operation saw to the arrest of twenty-eight (28) suspected prostitutes, including two (2) nursing mothers.
“The other suspects were the two (2) suspected Traffickers, Mr Ndubueze Okereke, 37yrs and his wife, Ifeoma Okereke, 35yrs, all Nigerians with the exception of Mr Kofo Bekoe, who is a Ghanaian and the host of a suspected Trafficking syndicate.”
“This particular operation was planned and successfully carried out with the support from the authorities of the above-mentioned assemblies, owing to the growing concerns of the nefarious activities, especially by some of the foreign nationals within the said communities, and the impunity with which the brothel operated,” the GIS stated.
According to the statement, investigations revealed that all the suspects had entered the country without the requisite passports or any other travel identification documents. Additionally, searches conducted on their persons and the premises uncovered packets of both used and unused condoms, particularly within the rooms.
Furthermore, the GIS noted that in a related development, Mr. Bekoe had previously been arrested several months ago and was granted bail to facilitate ongoing investigations related to harboring foreign nationals engaged in prostitution. This action is in violation of Act 29 of the Criminal Code of 1960, Aliens’ Registration Regulation 1974 (L.I. 856), Section 13 of the Immigration Service Act 2000 (ACT 573), and other relevant legislations in Ghana.
Currently, the suspects are in the custody of the Western Regional Command Headquarters for further investigations, legal proceedings, and subsequent repatriation to their home country.
“The Service is by this statement averting the minds of Landlords and property owners across the country to be mindful of the existence of the above-stated laws and their consequences by checking and confirming the immigration status of all would-be foreign tenants before renting out their properties to them,” the GIS added.
Twenty-four (24) Nigerian commercial sex workers were at the mercy of law enforcement agencies in Ghana after authorities apprehended them over their involvement in the sex trade.
They have been penalised by the La District Court with fines for engaging in solicitation of sex in Osu, Accra, in contrast with the laws of the state.
The individuals involved are Favour David, 20, Nancy Victor, 23, Angel Isaiah, 23, Gloria Uyi, 27, Chukwuma Olivia Chinyere, 22, Jennifer James, 27, Matilda Samuel, 28, Ogbona Success, 23 and Ibeh Mary, 20.
Others are Berry Michael, 23, Angel Mbah, 23, Eze Jane, 23, Jenny Daniel, 23, Joy Timothy, 24, Comfort James, 23, Eze Kelly, 24, Lilian Ikpomwosa, 26 and Joy Bolle, 22.
Each of the accused individuals admitted guilt to the charge of soliciting or importuning by a prostitute, thus, the Court convicted them on their own plea.
The Court also ordered the deportation of the convicts back to their home country. The Court instructed the Police to collaborate with the Ghana Immigration Service in facilitating the deportation of all the convicts.
According to Police Chief Inspector Doris Darko’s presentation, all the convicts were of Nigerian nationality.
The prosecution stated that Osu, a suburb of Accra, has been witnessing an influx of the convicts engaging in solicitation and importuning as prostitutes, leading to disturbances and inconvenience for the local community.
According to the statement, on July 23, 2023, at approximately 10:00pm, the Police conducted an operation to crackdown on the activities of the commercial sex workers apprehended from different locations within Osu while soliciting and importuning as prostitutes.
The prosecution stated that during the investigation, the accused individuals confessed to the offense in their caution statements.
Italian police announced on Wednesday that a Nigerian woman who had fled the country had been returned to face a 13-year term stemming from convictions for trafficking women for prostitution (Mar.8).
From 2006 to 2007, the 48-year-old Joy Jeff was a prominent player in the trafficking of Nigerian women to Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. She imposed her authority by violence, including making threats against her relatives back in Nigeria.
A treaty signed by Nigeria and Italy in 2020 facilitated the extradition. According to the statement, she was arrested in Nigeria on June 4, 2022, on an international warrant issued by Italy.
Investigators in Ancona, Italy’s easternmost city, said Jeff was a key figure in trafficking women to Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, where they were forced into prostitution through violence and threats. In her absence, she was convicted.
The woman was flown from Nigeria’s capital, Abuja to Ciampino airport in Rome, where she was taken away in a wheelchair by police, according to a video released by the Italian police.
“Africa today is a strategic location when looking for fugitives and fighting organised crime,” said Vittorio Rizzi, an Italian police chief responsible for international coordination.
The Ghana Police Service has arrested at least 34 women in the Tema Metropolitan Assembly of the Greater Accra Region for engaging in prostitution.
According to a report by myjoyonline.com, the arrests were made after complaints by residents of the metropolis about prostitutes parading their streets at night looking for clients.
The report indicated that the police conducted an intelligence-led operation to arrest the suspected prostitutes.
It added that preliminary investigations by the police showed that the women stand at street corners and use gestures to obtain clients for prostitution.
The suspects, who were arrested at different places in the Tema metropolis including Subon Valley at Community Seven 7, Sabrina Hotel area at Site 17 Community 1 and Viena City and Datus area both in Community 8, included Ghanaians, Liberians and Nigerians.
The report further indicated that the suspects were charged with prostitution and were arraigned before court.
The court granted each of the accused persons a bail amounting to the sum of GHC5,000 with two sureties.
The case has been adjourned to March 15, 2023, where the suspects are expected to reappear in court.
About 34 women have been reportedly for engaging in prostitution in the Tema Metropolis.
The brief facts indicate that some young ladies have been parading the streets of the Tema Metropolis at night soliciting clients for prostitution.
The Tema Regional Police Command organised an intelligence-led operation to bring sanity into the metropolis.
The operation led to the arrest of the sex workers which included Ghanaians, Liberians and Nigerians at Subon Valley at Community 7.
Others were also arrested at Sabrina Hotel at Community 17 as well as in Viena City and Datus area both in Community Eight.
Investigations disclosed that the accused persons have been operating as prostitutes whose modus operandi was to stand at street corners and make faces at men, smiled at them and made gestures with their mouths to obtain clients for prostitution.
After investigations, the accused persons were charged with the offence and arraigned before the court on Tuesday where each was granted bail of GHC5, 000 with two sureties, one to be justified.
However, the Police ordered to authenticate the identity of each of the accused persons before bail can be considered.
A 31-year-old Nigerian woman has been sentenced to a five-year jail term by a Circuit court for human trafficking.
Blessing Favour pleaded guilty to human trafficking and forced prostitution and was convicted on her plea.
Blessing had earlier pleaded for mercy and told the court she had regretted her action, adding that she was a single mother.
The judge, His Lordship, Alexander Oworae ignored her plea and sentenced her to five years to serve as a deterrent to others who are engaged in similar acts.
The suspect collapsed in the dock after the judge pronounced his judgement.
The culprit on Monday, December 5, 2022, pleaded guilty to charges of human trafficking and forced prostitution after she was arrested.
She had trafficked young women from Nigeria under the guise that they were coming to work in Ghana but ended up in a brothel in Tamale, the Northern Region capital and “Dollar Power” a mining community in the Savannah Region.
On Sunday, December 4, 2022, one of the victims who was pursued by Blessing Favour when she tried to escape coincidentally 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.
A 31-year-old Nigerian woman has been sentenced to a five-year jail term by a Circuit courtfor human trafficking.
Blessing Favour pleaded guilty to human trafficking and forced prostitution and was convicted on her plea.
Blessing had earlier pleaded for mercy and told the court she had regretted her action, adding that she was a single mother.
The judge, His Lordship, Alexander Oworae ignored her plea and sentenced her to five years to serve as a deterrent to others who are engaged in similar acts.
The suspect collapsed in the dock after the judge pronounced his judgement.
The culprit on Monday, December 5, 2022, pleaded guilty to charges of human trafficking and forced prostitution after she was arrested.
She had trafficked young women from Nigeria under the guise that they were coming to work in Ghana but ended up in a brothel in Tamale, the Northern Region capital and “Dollar Power” a mining community in the Savannah Region.
On Sunday, December 4, 2022, one of the victims who was pursued by Blessing Favour when she tried to escape coincidentally 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.
An Accra Circuit Court has remanded a commercial sex worker into police custody over alleged human trafficking.
Miriam Braim pleaded not guilty to attempted human trafficking and human trafficking. She will make her next appearance in court on November 29, 2022.
Her accomplice whose name was only given as Mary is on the run.
Police Chief Inspector Isaac Anquandah told the Court presided over Madam Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie that the complainant was a casual labourer whilst Miriam, the accused person, was a commercial sex worker.
He said both complainant and the accused were Nigerians living in Ghana and that in December 2021, the accused person and Mary, currently in Nigeria and a friend of the accused person, visited Ghana to engage in prostitution.
The prosecution said after their three months stay together in Kasoa, Ghana, a misunderstanding ensued between them and they went their separate ways, where Mary went back to Nigeria whilst Miriam remained in Ghana and moved to stay at Mempeasem at East Legon.
It said Mary in Nigeria allegedly recruited and transported Mutia Osman, the victim to Ghana, saying, she was welcomed by the accused person on Saturday, October 1, 2022, who took her home.
The accused person, the court heard, attempted to exploit the victim in prostitution but the victim pleaded that she was only 18 years and a virgin but the accused allegedly turned down the plea.
The prosecution said the accused person allegedly went out with the victim for two days and engaged her in commercial sex.
It said on the second day of their outing, the victim sensed danger and jumped into a private car, which sent her to the East Legon Police Station where she lodged a complaint to the police.
The prosecution said on October 7 22, the police accompanied the victim to the residence of the accused and had her arrested.
The case was later referred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit at the Headquarters where after investigations, the accused was arraigned.
38-year-old sex worker, Ama Serwaa, has disclosed that out of 24 friends who travelled to Accra to work, only three are still alive.
In a chat on Ghetto Life Story on SVTV Africa, Ama Serwaa mentioned that she came to the capital 22 years ago as a 16-year-old but only engaged in sex work two years ago.
She revealed that 23 other females who came from her hometown to work in Accra are now deceased. Speaking on the dangers of working as a prostitute, Ama Serwaa disclosed that life in the ghetto itself is a risk.
“Some offer Ghs500 to Ghs1000 and you would go because you need the money but it may be dirty money. I won’t go because 21 of us have died.
“Twenty-four of us came to work here and only three of us are left. Some were prostitutes; they had infections and died. Some were thieves, and others smoked and died from hunger,” she said.
The 38-year-old mother of one added that she left her uncle’s house due to mistreatment and has been on the streets for the past 17 years. According to Serwaa, she was knocked down by a car while selling in traffic for a few years.
“I sold pure water and worked as a bus conductor until I started sex work two years ago. My boss sacked me. I was jobless for three years until a friend introduced me to it, but I want to stop because it’s not helping,” she told DJ Nyaami.
Ama advised the youth to be cautious of friends because they can be their downfall or their salvation.
Prostitution dates back to ancient societies and occurs in various forms within communities but when and how did it become common among universitystudents?
Over the years, the name prostitution or Commercial sex work has evolved to what is now known as Hookup or Slay Queens.
Despite being a criminal offence in Ghana, some students are finding ways and means to engage in illegal activity for various reasons.
A brief study conducted on selected university campuses has revealed that the proliferation of commercial sex work among students is for financial, material, and emotional gains. Student sex workers have devised various strategies to combine academic work and sex work.
Student sex workers seek out their potential clients by hanging out in pubs and nightclubs on and around university campuses at night and/or leaving contact details on their various social media handles.
Some student sex workers also convert their hostel rooms into brothels. Price negotiation is based on the environment, duration, the sex workers’ perceived safety of the sexual act, customers’ preferences for styles, and positions adopted for sex.
A level 400 student at the University of Ghana speaking on condition of anonymity said she engages in the act to pay her fees and also to keep up with the increasing financial burden on her. According to her, she is not perturbed that the laws of the country are against prostitution as long as she gets her daily bread.
“Prostitution started right from the bible [ancient times and recorded in the bible], or you don’t know? So what has the law got to do with me? So far as I disguise myself, nobody will know my sister… I have to do what I have to do to survive, the financial pressure is real and that [prostitution] is my only option.”
The Criminal code 1960 Act 29, sections 273-279, specifically makes it an offense to engage in prostitution. Section 273 – Persons Trading in Prostitution:
(1) Any person who
(a) knowingly lives wholly or in part on the earnings of prostitution; or
(b) is proved to have, for the purposes of gain, exercised control, direction or influence over the movements of a prostitute in such manner as to aid, abet, or compel the prostitution with any person or generally, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
“Oh honestly, I was desperate because I was in my final year as an undergraduate student in the University of Ghana and all my mates from high school that were in different schools had completed and were doing well so I wanted to use all means possible to get money. Currently I am pursuing a master’s programme at GIMPA and I am able to fund my education because of this sugar mummy… So how I go fit stop! You barb?” A male student who referred to himself as Johnny at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration said.
Obiora, a Nigerian student at the University of Ghana also said “shebi you know I be Nigerian? Eheh! Na my friend tell me say work dey… wey I fit do get money so me too gree follow her come. But the truth be say she no tell me say na olosho oh, na later I come find out but anyhow shaa edey ok so make I kuku do am as money no dey house. My mama don sick wey my papa na one rubbish man so you sef you for understand now”.
Even though they say that prostitution is a gold mine being exploited by students, there are risks involved. Some of them are assaulted, others contract sexually transmitted diseases, while some after giving out their bodies are not paid for and threats.
Johnny also added “This is funny but…my client’s husband almost caught me. The woman wasn’t aware that the husband was going to come home so we were resting when we heard the door bell ringing and a call followed afterwards and it was a call from the husband. I remember the words vividly “darling please open the door I am home, I wanted to surprise you”. You should have seen how my heart left my body haha but I managed to escape.”
Is there a way out?
Well until the problem of unemployment is resolved, prostitution will continue to increase especially among students. Realistically, we all know that it cannot be fully eradicated but there are a few things that can help curb the menace.
Recent statistics by the National STIs and HIV/AIDS Control Programme revealed a total of 23,495 people in Ghana tested positive for HIV in the first half of this year (January to June).
The figure is two percent of the 948,094 people who undertook HIV testing from January to June 2022. The majority of the newly infected people were youth. This means something urgent must be done to fight prostitution among students.
Parents must be interested and more responsible in the lifestyles and upkeep of their children in universities than allowing students to fend for themselves.
This one may sound exhausting but I believe students can apply for evening or weekend jobs.
Students must not also look for the easy way out but rather look out for the weekend and paid part-time jobs to help them meet their financial demands.
Students who intend to make money can also enroll in skill training programmes such as soap making, wig making, and dressmaking which can provide an avenue to establish a business after school.
The writer is a student at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ)
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
