Akumadan: A civil society organisation, Global Freedom Network (GFN), has revealed that 91,000 individuals have fallen victim to modern slavery in Ghana since 2021, contributing to a global figure of 50 million. This disclosure was made during a segment on the CruzFM Morning Show in Akumadan, where Madam Elizabeth Poku, Programme Coordinator for GFN, shared insights from the organisation's internal research.
According to Ghana Web, Madam Poku highlighted that despite the 1926 and 1934 Slavery Conventions aimed at eradicating slavery through international law, practices such as human trafficking, forced labour, child marriage, and debt bondage continue to persist. GFN has been working since 2014 to eliminate modern slavery through awareness campaigns, advocacy, and strategic partnerships. A key component of their efforts includes global signing ceremonies where religious leaders declare their commitment to combat slavery.
Madam Poku mentioned that these declarations have been held in various cities worldwide, including the Vatican, Delhi, Canberra, Jakarta, Buenos Aires, Auckland, and Medelln between 2014 and 2018. Notably, on 5 August 2021, GFN organised its first African declaration ceremony in Ghana, which saw participation from 14 religious leaders across Ghana, C´te d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria.
This announcement follows a recent press briefing by the Ghana Police Service on Tuesday, 21 July 2026, where it was reported that 33 human trafficking victims were rescued and 28 suspects apprehended. The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), DCOP Lydia Yaako Donkor, stated that this operation was part of efforts to tackle cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking, and illicit arms trafficking in Accra, Tema, and the Ashanti Region. She further noted that several trafficking cases, primarily involving individuals from Nigeria into Ghana, have been intercepted earlier this year.
GFN's research attributes modern slavery to factors such as poverty, political instability, and famine. The organisation is also addressing child and forced marriages, which remain underreported due to societal norms and insufficient law enforcement. In June 2022, GFN partnered with transport unions and the Police Anti-Trafficking Unit for a poster campaign to raise awareness. Posters featuring the Anti-Trafficking Unit's hotline, 18555, were displayed on buses and at bus stations, with efforts to educate passengers and drivers.
Currently, GFN is conducting similar campaigns in Accra and is urging government bodies, religious leaders, traditional authorities, the media, and all stakeholders to unite in the fight against human rights abuses linked to slavery.