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Thugs extort, rape market women at “No man’s land”
Thugs have taken over the various unapproved paths and stretches of ‘no man’s land’ between Ghana and Togo, intercepting traders who flout the border closure to either rape them or to extort money from them.
They usually target market women from the Ghana side of the border who continue crossing the border into Togo day and night to buy vegetables in large quantities for resale in Ghana, in spite of the official closure of the frontier because they are cheaper there.
Some of the gangsters are raking a fortune from assisting traders to cross the border and charging them big money.
For the past two weeks, however, the cross-border business by the market women from Ghana has fallen drastically as a result of the persistent threats of rape by the gangsters along the unapproved routes.
One trader from Ho, who spoke to The Spectator on anonymous grounds, said that the thugs often asked the illegal cross-border traders to choose between paying huge fees for assistance to cross the frontier or get ready for gang-rape in the bush.
Some of the traders, she said, have now folded up their businesses due to the danger along the unproved paths.
According to other traders, some of their colleagues, who fall victim to the criminals along the unapproved border routes cannot report the matter to the police because “it all takes place on no man’s land.”
” We were so embarrased to report these incidents to our families and law enforcement agencies, “they lamented.
Giving details, they said. The hoodlums would extort various amounts of money from them and those who could not pay, were dragged into the bush and raped.
Senior immigration officers stationed at the various border posts confirmed the story.
They said the activities of the tugs, if not checked quickly, would become uncontrollable.
Worse still, they said that the traders were afraid of getting arrested for attempting to flout the border if they report the matter to the police on either side of the border.
Meanwhile, there are growing reports of a large number of Ghanaians trapped and distressed in their homes located behind the gates of the immigration check points which are located far away from the frontier.
This was evident last Saturday when members of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs visited the border town of Leklebi-Kame and other communities along the frontier.
At Honuta in the Ho-West District, the traditional authorities expressed misgivings over the activities of some organised thugs who were terrorising the natives and calling them ‘Togolese’.
At the Honuta Border Post, it emerged that dealers in food items such as cooking oil from Togo often left them on the border for the customers to pick without crossing the frontier.
This reporter was at the Ghana side of the frontier when two motorcycles arrived to deliver big gallons of cooking oil at the gate separating the two countries, before riding back into Togo.
Pix: xah 1
Caption: The Honuta border
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
