Two Nigerians jailed for cybercrime, human trafficking in Ghana

Two Nigerian nationals, John Moore and Charles Bruce, have been sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment with hard labor by the Ashaiman District Court after pleading guilty to cyber fraud and illegal entry into Ghana.

The two men, who admitted to engaging in online scams, commonly referred to as “Yahoo Yahoo,” and entering the country through an unauthorized route at Aflao, were convicted and sentenced on their own pleas by Judge Derick Parden Eshun. Their sentences are to run concurrently.

Inspector Jerry Foster Segbefia, an immigration officer and prosecutor in the case, urged the court to impose custodial sentences without the option of a fine. He emphasized the urgent need to protect Ghana’s Internet Protocol Address System from abuse by foreign cybercriminals.

“Failure to act firmly now could have severe consequences for Ghana’s digital reputation and infrastructure,” he warned.

According to the prosecution, the accused were arrested during an intelligence-led operation at Afienya Junction by the Ashaiman Immigration Command. Investigators discovered that Moore and Bruce had trafficked two other Nigerian nationals—Joseph Atungwa and Cletus Tom Emmanuel—into Ghana and forced them into cybercrime schemes.

The victims, found with bodily injuries, were reportedly beaten, starved, and confined when they failed to produce financial gains through romance scams and other online fraud tactics. One of the victims, Atungwa, managed to escape and reported the abuse, leading to their rescue and the arrest of the suspects.

After receiving medical care, both victims were repatriated to Nigeria. The traffickers were later formally charged and brought before the court.