Nigerian Trafficker Gets 20-Year Sentence for Forced Prostitution Ring in Ghana

A Tarkwa court has handed down a 20-year prison sentence to Nigerian national Patience Gold for operating a brutal human trafficking scheme that enslaved young women in Ghana’s sex trade.

The 32-year-old’s conviction exposes a disturbing pattern of abuse against vulnerable migrants lured from Nigeria’s Benue State with false job promises.

Court documents reveal Gold’s operation followed a calculated pattern of deception and violence. After recruiting victims with offers of legitimate bar work in Ghana’s Western Region, she subjected them to horrific initiation rituals – including forced shaving and nail removal – before coercing them into prostitution through supernatural threats. Prosecutors detailed how one pregnant victim was forced to abort with dangerous herbal concoctions, while another HIV-positive survivor had her life-saving medication confiscated as punishment for insufficient earnings.

“The accused systematically broke these women physically and psychologically,” said prosecuting officer ASP Samuel Ahiabor, describing how Gold relocated victims to different towns to maintain control. The case came to light when several traumatized women escaped and reported their ordeal to Asankrangwa police.

Judge Emmanuel Bart-Plange’s decision to impose maximum sentences reflects growing judicial intolerance for human trafficking offenses in Ghana. While the concurrent sentencing means Gold will serve 20 years total, the separate convictions for trafficking, illegal abortion, and assault underscore the multiplicity of her crimes.

This case spotlights the dark underbelly of West Africa’s migration patterns, where economic desperation makes many vulnerable to such exploitation. Anti-trafficking organizations warn that cross-border criminal networks are increasingly targeting rural communities with false employment offers. Ghana’s Human Trafficking Secretariat has recorded 47% increase in identified cases since 2022, with Nigerian nationals comprising 60% of prosecuted offenders.

As authorities work to dismantle these trafficking rings, advocates emphasize the need for stronger cross-border cooperation and victim protection measures. The courage of Gold’s victims in coming forward has set an important precedent, but experts say thousands more remain trapped in similar situations across the region. This landmark conviction sends a clear message to trafficking syndicates while underscoring the urgent need for preventive education in vulnerable communities.