A 24-year-old Nigerian national, Mariam Yussif, has been sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment with hard labour for human trafficking by the Gender-Based Violence Court in Tamale.
According to the Northern Regional Police Command, Yussif and her 22-year-old sister, Precious Clement, were arrested in Yendi on August 17, 2026, for their alleged involvement in recruiting and transporting victims from Nigeria to Ghana for sexual exploitation.
Yussif was charged with one count of human trafficking under Section 2(1) of the Human Trafficking Act, 2005 (Act 694), and arraigned before the court on August 19. She pleaded not guilty and was remanded into prison custody pending trial.
The Police said she reappeared before the court on October 22, 2026, after several adjournments, and was convicted at the conclusion of the trial.
She has since been transferred to Tamale Central Prison to begin serving her seven-year sentence.
Meanwhile, the Police said they established no case against Clement, who was subsequently released.
The two victims involved in the case have also been repatriated to Nigeria and reunited with their respective families.
The Northern Regional Police Command described the conviction as an indication of the importance of intelligence-led operations, thorough investigations and effective prosecution in tackling human trafficking.
It reaffirmed its commitment to combating the crime and urged members of the public to report suspected cases to the appropriate authorities to support efforts to protect vulnerable persons and bring perpetrators to justice.
