South African Court Nigerian prison 18 years due to human trafficking

The High Court in Gauteng, Pretoria, South Africa, has punished a Nigerian citizen, Chinedu Justice Obasi, 18 years in prison after he was found guilty of human trafficking and entering a cheating marriage to secure a place to live.

According to documents obtained by Independent News Eswatin on Wednesday, the court strengthened the Obasi sentence which was originally sentenced in December 2017 on three charges and sentenced to September 2018 on charges including two accusations of hiding women for exploitation and one accusation of fraud marriage.

“The court records seen by the news platform showed that between April and September 2016, Obasi kept two women, which were identified as Busisiwe and Puleng, in a flat in Pretoria, where he allegedly forced them into prostitution,* the report said.

“At the time of appeal, Obasi argues that the court ignores his personal condition and fails to consider evidence correctly.

“However, Chief Judge Graham Moshoana refused the claim, emphasizing that Obasi had never testified in his defense.

“Judge Moshoana described this case as a clear example of modern slavery.

“Human trafficking exists because people are vulnerable to exploitation due to poverty, lack of education and despair.

“The victims are often misused, confused and confused. People are traded for sex, labor and other related reasons,” the judge said.