A HUMAN traffic syndicate, including two Nigerian citizens, received a combined sentence of 37 years in the Durban Regional Court this week in a victory for the KZN Human Trafficking, Prostitution, Pornography and Brothels Task Team.
Emmanuel Uche Odii (32), Bonginkosi Shange (46) and William Ojiaku (30) were convicted on charges including rape, kidnapping and trafficking in persons for sexual exploitation.
The accused recruited their 18 and 19 year old victims with promises of employment, where after one was raped and one hospitalised after she was forced to smoke cocaine.
Nigerians Odii and Oiaku, paid Shange R1000 for each female he recruited.
Oiaku enticed the 19 year-old with promises of employment as a domestic worker in June 2010.
On arrival in Pretoria, she was taken to a flat where she was sexually assaulted and raped by Odii.
She was then taken to a brothel, where Odii told her she would have to prostitute herself.
When she refused, she was kept locked-up.
In August 2010, the 18 year old was offered a job to housesit Odii’s flat while he was ‘out of town’. She traveled to Pretoria, where Odii threatened her, forced her to smoke rock cocaine and told her she would now prostitute herself. The drugs had a severe effect on her and she was later hospitalised.
In aggravation of sentence senior state advocate Val Dafel told the court trafficking in persons is regarded as the fastest growing criminal activity in the world and generates billions of dollars in earnings for traffickers.
She said that the accused have been convicted of severe offences and asked that the court deliver a sentence that will have a deterrent effect on would be offenders.
Odii was convicted of two counts of trafficking in persons, two counts of kidnapping, sexual assault, rape, assault with the intent to commit grievous bodily harm and keeping a brothel. He was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment.
Shange was convicted of two counts of trafficking in persons and sentenced to five years imprisonment on each count. The sentences will run concurrently.
Ojiaku was convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to two years imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years.
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