NAPTIP DG APPLAUDS CONVICTION OF BRITISH-BASED NIGERIAN NURSE

The indefatigable DG of NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli has applauded the conviction of Nigerian nurse, Josephine Iyamu by Birmingham Crown court for human trafficking.

According to Stella Nezan, the DG said the conviction is the beginning of the renewed determination by the agency to bring all foreign-based human traffickers to justice irrespective of their location around the world. 

The DG said, NAPTIP in collaboration with other foreign partners and law enforcement agencies will continue to smoke out suspected human traffickers and make them to face justice just like their counterparts in Nigeria.

It could be recalled that operatives of NAPTIP and National Crimes Agency (NCA) had during a joint operation tagged “Operation REDROOT”, arrested Iyamu under the joint counter trafficking project called Joint Border Task Force (JBTF).

With the latest development, Iyamu has become the first person to be convicted under new modern slavery laws, after being found guilty of trafficking five Nigerian women to Germany to work as prostitutes.

She said that Iyamu was prosecuted under the Modern Slavery Act involving victims who had no connection to the UK but had been victimised by a British national.

“Jurors were told the 51-year-old Liberia-born British citizen forced the women to swear oaths to hand over money to her during `juju’ ceremonies.

“These included forcing women to eat chicken hearts, drink blood containing worms, and have powder rubbed into cuts.

“Iyamu, formerly of Bermondsey in London, then arranged for the women to be trafficked across the Mediterranean, with one being told to pay a bill of 37,000 Euro (about 32,700 dollars),” ,’’ the statement read in part. (NAN)

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