22-YEAR-OLD HAIRDRESSER SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS FOR TRAFFICKING NIGERIAN WOMEN
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A 22-year-old hairdresser named Nicky Isabella was given a five-year prison sentence by the Achimota Circuit Court for smuggling two young Nigerian women into Ghana on false pretenses of employment.
Under the guise of promising them work, Isabella, also known as Bella, enticed the victims to Ghana, where she coerced them into prostitution.
The victims, who were 22 and 23, were tricked by Isabella, also known as Bella, who promised them jobs in supermarkets in Adjiringanor, Accra. However, the story took a tragic turn when they arrived in May 2024 and were deprived of their profits and forced into prostitution in place of job.
Following a thorough trial, the matter was heard before Mrs. Akosua Anokyewaa Adjepong, who rendered the verdict on Friday, April 4, 2025.
Prosecutors revealed that Isabella planned the cross-border trafficking with an accomplice named Nelly, who is still at large, according to Ghana Broadcasting Corporation on Monday.
Isabella allegedly confiscated their profits upon their arrival and made them take an oath on a Bible. She chopped off sections of their pubic hair as part of the oath ritual and threatened to use them in rituals if they didn’t follow her orders.
The prosecution’s lead prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police Isaac Babayi, called the act “premeditated, exploitative, and deeply harmful,” and he urged the court to impose a severe punishment as a deterrent.
In making her decision, the trial judge took into account a number of elements, such as Isabella’s youth, the fact that she was a first-time offender, and the amount of time she had previously been detained. She did, however, also highlight Isabella’s lack of regret and the gravity of the offense.
Isabella, who was not represented by an attorney during the trial, sobbed when the penalty was announced.
According to court records, Isabella acknowledged coercing the women into engaging in sex labor, stealing their money, and controlling them with threats of spiritual harm. A notebook documenting the victims’ profits and a hank of human hair, thought to be a component of her coercive methods, were found during a search of her home.
After being saved, the two victims are currently getting psychosocial assistance.
In the meantime, the Ghana Police Service’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit has opened an inquiry to capture her co-conspirator, Nelly.
Commenting on the case, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) William Ayariga, Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, reiterated the country’s zero tolerance for human trafficking.
“Ghana is not a haven for human traffickers. Those who lure vulnerable people into Ghana and force them into prostitution will face the full force of the law,” he stated.DSP Ayariga revealed that the Unit secured nine convictions last year, including a landmark 20-year sentence, and reaffirmed its resolve to continue pursuing traffickers with full force.
“We are not slowing down. We will continue arresting, investigating, and prosecuting offenders. No form of human trafficking or migrant smuggling will be tolerated in Ghana. Justice will prevail,” he said.
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