At least 26 people have been rescued from a suspected human trafficking and kidnapping operation in Effiakuma, a suburb of Takoradi in the Western Region.
The victims include six women and 20 men, mostly believed to be foreign nationals from Côte d’Ivoire and other parts of West Africa.
The rescue operation took place after one of the victims managed to escape and inform local residents about the situation. According to Hamza Mohammed Ameen Adam, the Assembly Member for Effiakuma Zongo, the incident started when he was contacted by a lecturer from Takoradi Technical University.
“I was in the house when one of my lecturers told me that a young man from the lower part of Effiakuma had come to them speaking a strange language,” Hamza explained. “They thought it was French, but later realised it was a dialect from Côte d’Ivoire.”
The young man told residents he had been trafficked from Côte d’Ivoire and was being held against his will. “He said they don’t feed them, they beat them, and they’re only allowed to talk to their families with permission using one particular phone,” Hamza added. “He pleaded for help.”
With the help of locals, the young man was escorted to the house where he had been kept. The group contacted the police, and together they went to the scene.
“When we got there, it was a well-secured house with a padlock at the gate. But we saw some people jumping over the back wall and escaping,” Hamza recalled. “We had to break the padlock and the main doors. Inside, there were about eight rooms and a hall. All the rooms were locked. When we broke them open, we found six ladies and 20 men.”
The victims appeared frightened and tired. With the help of the escapee’s mobile phone, the police were able to identify the suspected leaders of the group which included four men and one woman.
“It was through the young man’s phone that we got every detail on how he was brought in, the dates, even phone numbers,” Hamza said. “At the police station, the suspected leaders were telling the victims not to speak because they would not be prosecuted here in Ghana but sent back to Côte d’Ivoire. They tried to calm them down.”
When asked if any Ghanaians were among the 26 rescued, Hamza replied, “There were no Ghanaians among the victims, based on what we saw and heard.”
Hamza also noted that this is not the first time he has heard of such incidents. “I know of a man from my area who was told he was being taken to Canada, but he was kidnapped in Côte d’Ivoire instead. His wife came to speak to me about it.”
He added that the entire Effiakuma community is in shock. “People are traumatized. They’re surprised that they lived close to these traffickers and never knew what was going on inside that house.”
The police are continuing their investigations, and the rescued victims are receiving support. Community leaders are calling for increased awareness and action to combat human trafficking in the region.
