An Accra circuit court on Tuesday sentenced Ella Peters, a 29-year-old Nigerian hairdresser, who trafficked two girls from her country to Ghana, to engage them in prostitution, to seven years imprisonment.
Ella charged with human trafficking, had pleaded guilty and the court presided by Mrs. Rita Abrokwah Doko convicted her on her own plea, but deferred sentence to April 9.
The court ordered the destruction of condoms and panties among other items that were retrieved from the convict by the police, in the presence of the court registrar.
Chief Inspector Grace Bandoh told the court that on June 22, last year, the Adenta police had a tip-off that Ella had recruited and transported some Nigerian girls to Ghana for sexual exploitation.
He said the Adenta police rescued a 16-year-old girl from Abarikpo, from River State, and a 17-year-old girl from Owere, Imo State, all in Nigeria.
Chief Insp Bandoh said Ella was arrested and during investigations, the police realized that the convict brought the girls from Nigeria to Ghana in May, last year, with the promise that they would work at her boutique and a tailoring shop, in Accra.
The prosecution said on reaching Accra, Ella engaged the girls in prostitution, compelling them to make daily amount of GH¢150.00 each.
Chief Insp Bandoh said Ella used blade to inflict marks on the faces of the victims, and used their blood for ritual purposes, to scare them not to fail in the payment of their daily sales.
Prosecution said Ella tortured the 16-year-old with a heated knife, leaving marks and wounds on her body, for failing to make her daily amount.
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