KEY POINTS
- Patience Gold trafficked victims from Nigeria under false pretenses.
- Victims suffered abuse, illegal abortions, and forced prostitution.
- Gold received a 29-year sentence for her multiple crimes.
Patience Gideon Gold, a 32-year-old Nigerian woman, was found guilty of several crimes and given a 29-year prison sentence. These include assault, forced prostitution, illegal abortions, and human trafficking.
Human trafficking and forced prostitution case uncovered in Ghana
According to court documents, on March 22 and 27, 2025, Gold smuggled her most recent victims from Benue State, Nigeria, to Ghana under the guise of providing them with respectable jobs. The victims said they were coerced into prostitution after arriving in Ghana. They first objected, but the prisoner allegedly tortured them by shaving their pubic hair, removing their fingernails, and forcing them to take an oath of allegiance while threatening to drive them insane if they didn’t comply.
The victims eventually cooperated and started working as sex workers out of fear. According to their testimony, Gold had complete authority over their business, including the ability to charge clients, collect payments, and keep all earnings.
Before being trafficked to Ghana, one victim, Abigail Timothy, revealed that she was already pregnant. Gold allegedly illegally ended her pregnancy on March 28, 2025, by administering a local herbal remedy. On March 12, 2025, Happiness Kowuka, another victim, became unwell and received an HIV/AIDS diagnosis. Gold allegedly moved Kowuka to a different location where she continued to engage in sex work, pocket all the profits, even though he was aware of her condition.
Kowuka was brutally attacked and suffered facial injuries when she confronted Gold after only getting GHS 300 on payday. After that, Kowuka organized other victims to inform the Asankrangwa Police Station about the abuse.
Court delivers justice with a 29-year sentence for the convict
According to Myjoyonline, following a police investigation, Patience Gold was taken into custody and made a cautionary statement acknowledging her offenses. Section 1 (1, 2) of the Human Trafficking Act of 2005 sentenced her to 20 years in prison; Section 58 of the Criminal Offences Act sentenced her to 5 years in prison for illegal abortion; Section 84 of the Criminal Offences Act sentenced her to 2 years in prison for assault; and Section 274(1) of the Criminal Offences Act of 1960 sentenced her to 2 years in prison for assault-related offenses.
In order to ensure their safe return to Nigeria, the court further mandated that the victims—Jennifer Terewuba, Abigail Timothy, Happiness Kowuka, Rejoice Isaac, and Samuel Ahiabor—be transferred to the Ghana Police Service’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit.
