The Chairman of the National Human Trafficking Taskforce of Liberia and Minister of Labour, Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah, Sr., has welcomed the sentencing of Ms. Esther Asuaquo, a Nigerian national, to ten (10) years imprisonment for human trafficking.
Ms. Asuaquo was convicted and sentenced by the 7th Judicial Circuit Court in Grand Gedeh County in the case Republic of Liberia vs. Esther Asuaquo, following months of legal proceedings.
According to court records, Ms. Asuaquo trafficked three Nigerian female minors between the ages of 15 and 19 in 2025 under the pretense of bringing them to Liberia to work in a beauty salon. Instead, she allegedly transported the victims to an illegal gold mining site where they were coerced into prostitution for her financial benefit.
The conviction marks the second successful prosecution of human traffickers by Liberian courts within the last six months. Another human trafficking case is currently ongoing before the 5th Judicial Circuit Court in Grand Cape Mount County in the matter titled Republic of Liberia vs. Bendu Kamara and Others, involving the alleged trafficking of four children, including three boys and one girl.
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Earlier this year, Criminal Court "A" at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia also convicted and sentenced five Liberian women for trafficking fourteen children between the ages of five and fourteen.
Speaking to journalists following the sentencing of Ms. Asuaquo, Minister Kruah pledged that the Government of Liberia would intensify efforts to investigate, indict, and prosecute individuals involved in human trafficking in the months and years ahead.
He stated that the National Human Trafficking Taskforce remains committed to reducing trafficking in persons in Liberia through the strict enforcement of anti-trafficking laws and increased prosecution of alleged traffickers.
Minister Kruah reaffirmed the Government's unwavering commitment to combating human trafficking through coordinated, sustained, and people-centered interventions. He emphasized that the Government will continue to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement institutions, including the Liberia National Police, Labour Inspectors, and other members of the joint security apparatus, to ensure their active participation in the fight against trafficking in persons.
The Minister also commended Liberia's development partners for their continued cooperation and support in combating human trafficking, noting the significant progress being made by the Government in the arrest and prosecution of alleged traffickers.
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