Artist Sentenced to 40 Years Imprisonment for Human Trafficking

Ali Square, an Adamawa local artist arrested months ago for human trafficking, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Ali Square was apprehended by the security forces in October 2023 for being involved in the trafficking of human organs in Meiganga, Adamawa Region.

According to reports, the artist employed a 22-year-old to kidnap a child in his neighbourhood so their organs could be harvested.

The emissary was caught in the act while trying to discard the remains of the young child.

When interrogated, he disclosed that he was commissioned by the said artist. They were both arrested and placed under custody.

Human trafficking, it should be noted, has become rampant in most Cameroonian towns like Yaounde and Douala, just to mention a few.

Human traffickers in Cameroon have ruthlessly exploited both domestic and foreign victims, which is a concerning development that has come to light. This distressing trend, which has persisted over the course of the past five years, has shed light on the gravity of the situation.

These traffickers not only prey on vulnerable individuals within the country, but they also exploit victims abroad, extending their reach beyond Cameroon’s borders. Concerted efforts are urgently needed to combat this heinous crime and protect the rights and well-being of those most at risk, as this distressing revelation underscores.

Experts suggest that the closure of borders due to the ongoing pandemic may have significantly reduced the extent of transnational exploitation. Transnational exploitation encompasses illicit activities like human trafficking, smuggling, and the illegal trade of goods. Nefarious operations often rely on these. The pandemic’s economic repercussions and persistent violence in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon have caused a significant surge in the number of individuals falling prey to domestic exploitation.

A US government study that traffickers utilise the Gulf of Guinea to transport children from Cameroon to Côte d’Ivoire for forced labour in cocoa farming. Additionally, traffickers are exploiting children from Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Togo in Cameroon.