Ghana police foil child trafficking attempt, rescue victim bound for Kenya

Accra International Airport. [Courtesy]

A nine-year-old girl reported missing in Ghana has been rescued by police after authorities said she was allegedly being trafficked to Kenya.

Ghanaian police arrested a 36-year-old woman, identified as Regina Mamle Tawiah, who is accused of attempting to move the child out of the country.

According to the Ghana Police Service, officers intercepted the suspect and the girl at Accra International Airport.

Police said the child had allegedly been taken from Agormanya Zongo in Ghana’s Eastern Region.

The case began on Sunday, April 19 when the girl’s father reported her missing to the Odumase-Krobo District Command.

“On Sunday, April 19, 2026, the Odumase-Krobo District Command received a complaint from the victim’s father that his daughter left home and had not returned,” police said.

After investigations and intelligence gathering, officers traced the suspect to the airport, arrested her and rescued the child.

Police said preliminary investigations indicated the suspect intended to take the child to Kenya.

The girl has since been reunited with her father.

The suspect was presented in court and remanded in custody pending further proceedings.

The incident has now renewed concerns about cross-border trafficking networks operating across Africa, with authorities across the region raising concern over trafficking cases involving children moved across borders through criminal networks, often under the guise of employment, education or family relocation.

Kenyan authorities have also reported recent cases involving children trafficked through border points and into urban centres for forced labour and exploitation