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Human Trafficking: Ghana Police Service Rescue 9 Victims On Lake Volta
The Ghana Police Service in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare have rescued nine trafficked victims from Yeji in the Pru East District of the Bono East Region.
The joint operation rescued four adult men and five boys from exploitation on the portion of the Volta Lake in Yeji.
Two of the four adult victims were trafficked 20 years ago and were said to have been brought to work on the lake at ages three and five respectively and the youngest of the five boys arrived less than a year ago.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema after the rescue mission, Mr Kojo Owiredu Kissi, Coordinator, Media and Communications, International Justice Mission (IJM), an anti-human trafficking not-for-profit organization in Ghana, said an operation by the two institutions led to the rescue of the victims in Yeji.
He indicated that the rescue process was owned and led by government partners from the Ghana Police Service and Department of Social Welfare with technical and logistical support from IJM Ghana.
Mr Kissi expressed heartfelt gratitude to the two institutions for their dedication and unflinching support towards ending human trafficking on the Volta Lake adding that, “they must be commended because this rescue was successful due to their dedication and collaborative efforts and outstanding work.”
Mr Kissi said six of the victims have been reintegrated and are currently at home with their families where they would be supported to go back to school or undertake vocational skills while three of them were in a shelter home.
He noted that the master, now a suspect, recruited the young children to work on the Lake for fishing.
Mr Kissi said the suspect controlled every aspect of the lives of the children adding that they were not allowed to play or associate with anybody outside of the suspect’s family and would be punished violently if they did.
He said anyone outside of the suspect’s family who tried to interact with the children would also be subject to violence, “if the children begin to develop relations with neighbours, they would be sent to more remote islands to ensure their isolation.”
Mr Kissi stated that the only movement the children were allowed to engage in was between the suspect’s house and his boat, noting that they were responsible both for housework and fishing on the lake.
He said the victims were identified to have been trafficked from the Volta and Bono Regions.
Source: GNA
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana Tourism Authority is leading Ghana’s participation at ITB Berlin, which opened in Berlin with a vibrant national pavilion highlighting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, tourism destinations and investment opportunities.
March 5 has been designated as Ghana Day, a special platform to promote Ghana’s languages, cuisine, Kente, festivals and business prospects to the global tourism community. The stand has already drawn strong interest with traditional arts and crafts displays, immersive multimedia presentations and popular Ghanaian snacks.
Seven private-sector players are exhibiting alongside government officials as part of efforts to deepen trade partnerships, expand market access, and attract investment across the hospitality, heritage tourism, ecotourism, and creative arts sectors.
Ahead of the official opening, the Ghana delegation also engaged young Ghanaian investors in Germany in collaboration with V Afrika-Verein and the Ghana Embassy, strengthening diaspora investment linkages and highlighting opportunities within the tourism value chain.
Ghana’s coordinated presence at ITB Berlin 2026 reinforces its strategy to position the country as the Gateway to Africa and a competitive destination for leisure travel and global investment.
