Nigerian Sex Trafficker Jailed in the UK

Osezua Osolase, 42, who used witchcraft rituals to silence poverty-stricken Nigerian orphans and tricked them into traveling to the UK with a promise of a better life, but in turn treated them as commodities to be sold as prostitutes has been jailed for 20 years.

At Canterbury crown court on Friday Mr Osolase was found guilty of five counts of trafficking for sexual exploitation, and one each of rape and sexual activity with a child.

Sentencing him, the judge said Osolase treated the girls as objects to be sold as sex slaves. The fact that he raped one girl knowing he had HIV was a "seriously aggravating" feature.

According to one of the victims, a 16-year-old girl, blood samples were extracted from her in a juju ceremony in Nigeria. Her hair was cut and she was made to swear an oath of silence. She was smuggled into Britain before an unsuccessful attempt was made to send her to Italy.

It was recommended that Osolase be deported after serving his sentence.