A Liberia-born British citizen, Josephine Iyamu, has been found guilty of trafficking five Nigerian women to Germany to work as prostitutes after forcing them to undergo nauseating voodoo rituals. Iyamu, a London-based nurse, made her victims swear oaths to hand over money during “juju” ceremonies which saw them ordered to eat chicken hearts, drink blood containing worms and endure powder being rubbed into cuts, Independent UK reports. Judges were told the 51-year-old then arranged for the women to be trafficked across the Mediterranean – with one being told to pay a “bill” of €37,000 (£32,800).
NAIJ.com gathered that Iyamu, formerly of Bermondsey, south London, was convicted on five counts of arranging or facilitating travel for sexual exploitation after a 10-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
She was also convicted of perverting the course of justice by arranging for relatives of the complainants in Nigeria to be arrested. Her husband, 60-year-old Efe Ali-Imaghodor, was acquitted of carrying out acts intending to pervert the course of justice.
Iyamu is believed to be the first person to be convicted under Modern Slavery Act laws passed in 2015, allowing prosecutions of British citizens for sexual trafficking taking place overseas. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said Iyamu forced victims to take oaths that bound their loyalty to her on pain of death.
Iyamu is believed to be the first person to be convicted under Modern Slavery Act laws passed in 2015, allowing prosecutions of British citizens for sexual trafficking taking place overseas. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said Iyamu forced victims to take oaths that bound their loyalty to her on pain of death.
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