South African Court Upholds 18-Year Jail Term for Nigerian Human Trafficker
- The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has upheld the conviction of Nigerian national Chinedu Justice Obasi for human trafficking
- Obasi, who forced two women into prostitution and exploited them through drugs and control, will serve an 18-year prison term
- His co-defendant, Obioma Benjamin Abba, is already serving a 12-year sentence for continuing the exploitation
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The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has upheld the conviction and 18-year sentence of Chinedu Justice Obasi, a Nigerian national found guilty of human trafficking and related offences.
Obasi was originally convicted in September 2018 alongside his associate, Obioma Benjamin Abba. While Obasi received an 18-year term, Abba was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in the crime.
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Court documents revealed that Obasi had harboured two women, identified as Busisiwe and Puleng, in a Pretoria apartment between April and September 2016. During that period, he forced them into prostitution, confiscated their earnings, and restricted their movements.
The records further indicated that he supplied them with drugs, which deepened their dependency and allowed him greater control.
The women were later handed over to Abba, who continued their exploitation. Prosecutors argued that the actions of both men amounted to deliberate and sustained human trafficking.
In addition to the trafficking charge, Obasi was convicted of violating South Africa’s Immigration Act. Investigators found that he had contracted a marriage with a South African woman to secure citizenship, despite never cohabiting with her.
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Dissatisfied with the judgment, Obasi challenged the ruling at the appellate level, insisting that the trial court failed to properly consider his testimony and personal circumstances. He maintained that the evidence presented was not sufficient to support the verdict.
Justice Graham Moshoana, delivering the ruling on appeal, dismissed Obasi’s arguments. The judge noted that Obasi had not taken the stand during his trial and that the prosecution’s case was supported by clear and convincing evidence of exploitation.
“The evidence established that the victims were subjected to abuse and control in a manner consistent with modern-day slavery,” Moshoana said.
He added that trafficking thrives in situations where poverty, desperation, and lack of education leave individuals vulnerable to exploitation.
The court emphasized that victims in such cases are often left disoriented, abused, and manipulated, with traffickers benefitting financially at their expense.
With the appeal dismissed, Obasi will continue to serve his 18-year prison sentence, while Abba remains behind bars on his own conviction.
Witch jailed in Kano for casting illness spell on children
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a Magistrate Court number 7, in Nomansland, Kano, presided over by Justice Halima Wali, had remanded a woman, Fauziya Abubakar, in prison over allegations of witchcraft affecting young girls in the state.
The incident reportedly occurred when Fauziya entered a residence on Lamido Crescent to use the washroom. However, the homeowner, Malama Bilkisu, later accused her of using sorcery, which allegedly caused mysterious illnesses in two of her daughters, and a neighbour’s child.
According to Malama Bilkisu, one of the girls developed severe body cuts, and unusual sensations, while another could no longer keep her hair plaited as it would instantly loosen on its own. The third victim was said to have started barking like a dog.
Source: Legit.ng
