Victim's bravery puts Juju sex traffickers in jail
16 Jun 2014 02:23 PM
A
young woman who was coerced by sex traffickers with threats of ‘the curse
of JuJu’ watched as an Old Bailey jury found her captors
guilty.
The
woman, who was 23 when she was trafficked from Nigeria, told the jury how
members of the organised crime group first befriended, then trafficked, raped
and intimidated her.
The
traffickers, who had links with other crime groups in Nigeria and Italy, used a
Nigerian contact known as Beneditta to target vulnerable young women who were
financially and educationally poor and were often orphans. She would befriend
them and tell them of a better life where they could learn English and become
hairdressers, seamstresses or nurses. They were then brought to the UK by
Olusoji Oluwafemi who was the main organiser.
The
victim, an orphan from a remote area of Nigeria, told the jury how Beneditta
promised her training as a nurse. Instead she was raped and subjected to
the African ritual of JuJu to frighten her into compliance. Her traffickers
told her she owed them £40,000 and would face the ‘curse of the
JuJu’ if she didn’t repay them.
After arriving in the UK in September 2011, she was met
at the airport by Johnson Olayinka and forced to hand over her Nigerian
passport and £500 given to her by Beneditta. She was imprisoned for
three weeks at the home of Florence Obadiaru, a third member of the crime
group.
On
3 October 2011 the victim was taken to an airport, given a false passport in
the name of Jacky Smith, and told to board a flight to Milan where she would be
forced to work as a prostitute. The Italian authorities refused her entry and
she was sent back to the UK where she ‘was so frightened’ she
immediately handed herself into the authorities.
Specialists from the National Crime Agency, including
the Vulnerable Persons Team which is skilled in working with trafficking
victims, interviewed her and secured sufficient evidence to track down and
arrest members of the crime group.
During searches of Oluwafemi’s home in May 2013,
investigators seized computers showing over 60 images of fake passports,
identity cards and Home Office letters which formed part of a ready made
‘forgery factory’. Oluwafemi, Obadiaru and Olayinka were charged
with trafficking offences.
Analysis of mobile phone data was critical to the
success of the investigation as it supported the victim’s account of her
ordeal. Investigators were able to evidence that members of the crime group
were in contact with each other at key times and links to Beneditta in
Nigeria.
Brendan Foreman, NCA Regional Head of Investigations,
said:
“Human trafficking is modern day slavery and
today's result shows the vital importance of victims coming forward. The
NCA's skilled investigators will find the evidence to bring traffickers to
court, and our expert teams will work side by side with vulnerable victims to
ensure that the court process doesn't add to the trauma they have already
experienced.
“Criminals will sell anything, including human
beings, to make money. They have neither conscience nor moral code towards
their victims and will attempt to strip them of their dignity and freedom
through fear and violence.
"This victim was extremely brave, not only by going
to the authorities but also facing her traffickers in the courtroom. Her
evidence during this trial means these criminals now have plenty of time to
reflect on how it feels to lose their own dignity and
freedom.”
Since coming forward, the victim has received the
appropriate protection and support after going through the National Referral
Mechanism which is a framework for identifying victims of human
trafficking.
Sentencing is scheduled for 11 July.
-
Olusoji Oluwafemi, DoB 30/11/69, of Tissington Court, Rotherhithe New Road,
London, was found guilty of trafficking human beings in and out of the UK, plus
identity fraud
-
Johnson Olayinka , DoB 09/05/65, of Kelly Avenue, Peckham, was found guilty of
trafficking human beings in and out of the UK, plus identity
fraud
-
Florence Obadiaru, DoB 13/02/66, of St Asaph Road, London, was found guilty of
trafficking human beings in and out of the UK