Nancy (not her real name) was trafficked together with other victims from Nigeria to McCarthy Hill in Accra – Ghana and forced into prostitution in 2019.
According to victim now 24 years old, the trafficker deceived them of securing a job in one of the biggest restaurants and chop bars in Ghana with well-paid remuneration.
The trafficker gave the victims new names, seized their mobile phones and coerced them to swear an oath of allegiance under juju spell upon arrival in Ghana.
“There was another lady called Blessing and the other one called Princess. She [the trafficker] was the one who gave us the names. She gave the girl Princess and she gave me Nancy that is not my real name , my real name is Mercy which she changed my name so that people who know me will not be able to identify me that’s why she gave me that name. In the business there is no love, just to take your money get what you want and go.”
“I worked at least for one month before my eyes were cleared and I stopped the work, they said we should prepare oat which I said I can’t do and others did it and that was what brought the problem and I stopped the work and left.
I was going to the men so I will call them, so when I’m nice to them they will take my number so when I come then they will call and ask of my where about and I will direct them where I am so they will tell me to come. Some of them I even book with them and go to their house”.
Nancy told EIB news correspondent Kojo Ansah that, she came to terms with the reality after she felt exorcised. She, therefore, escaped to seek refuge on the streets.
Nancy suffered serious infection but was not sent to the hospital for treatment. She was self-medicated to treat the infection.
After a month of enduring sexual exploitation with average Ghc800 daily sales for the trafficker, she decided to escape.
“I get Ghc 800 or Ghc 900 if you have more customers. I at that time I was having more customers so I make Ghc 900 which she collect all the money. She took all the money didn’t give me a dime of the money. So it got to a time I said that it’s enough. So I stopped. Later she saw me and almost killed me. She cut off my hair. She embarrassed me and I even fell sick. It was not easy for me and I told her as she has done this to me it will also happen to her not until they told me she is sick and she was begging me for forgiveness”.
Nancy however fell prey to many men on the streets who pretended to help her.
She ended up being sexually abused in Accra, Winneba, Kumasi and Kasoa by people who offered her support which in the process first got pregnant with twins but her abuser administered a drug to her ostensibly to abort the baby without her consent which led to a miscarriage of the twins.
Later, one of her abusers, a DJ also impregnated her but initially denied the pregnancy and escaped.
However, after months of birthing, a friend helped her to locate the father of the now nine (9) month -old boy (the club Dj), who accepted the baby.
“So when he saw the child he said this child is for DJ, and I said no the child is not for him because he said the child is not his child, and he called DJ and he came when he saw the child he said this child is for him so why did I give the child to another man and I told him someone who saw me and help me to give birth to the child he did what you can never do so why are you complaining”
Nancy and the baby were brought to Koforidua by the man to stay with his mother.
But Nancy says, the mother in-law is now maltreating her and has asked her to leave the baby for the family and leave the house.
The mother in-law has since stopped providing for her needs hence Nancy sells sachet water on the streets of Koforidua, the Eastern regional capital to make an income to take care of herself and the baby.
She wants help to be repatriated to her family in Nigeria.
In an interview with the Eastern Regional Vice Chairman of Nigeria Community, Christian Ofor, he stated that since the attention of the leadership of the Nigeria community was drawn to the development, they have informed the Nigeria High Commission.
Additionally, they will meet the family of the father of the baby to facilitate processes to repatriate the girl and the baby to Nigeria.
Through a Facebook messenger, the family of the victim in Nigeria told Starr News, they have gone through pains over the sudden disappearance of the victim on her birthday in 2019.
However glad that she is alive, they have expressed willingness to support efforts to repatriate her to Nigeria.
“Thank you. Have gone through troubles to look for this girl. It hasn’t been easy” the Elder sister of the victim told Kojo Ansah on Facebook messenger.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah
