Woman Enslaved with “Ju-Ju” Ritual: Two Sentenced in Reggio Calabria

The Court of Assizes of Reggio Calabria has sentenced Sonia Osazee, a 41-year-old Nigerian woman, to 20 years in prison for human trafficking, enslavement, exploitation of prostitution and sexual violence.

The sentence, issued today by President Natina Pratticò, also inflicted 9 years of imprisonment on Sunday Ediorans, a 31-year-old Nigerian accomplice only in the crime of human trafficking.

The investigation that led to the conviction was started by the Reggio Calabria Flying Squad after a complaint from a young Nigerian woman. The victim had been subjected to the “ju-ju” ritual, a voodoo practice that tied her to her tormentor, and once she arrived in Italy on a boat, she was forced to prostitute herself in Castel Volturno (Caserta) to repay the trip.

According to the accusation, Sonia Osazee “recruited, introduced into the territory of the State and hosted the offended person over whom – we read in the indictment – she exercised powers corresponding to the right to property, keeping her in a state of continuous subjection and forcing her to perform work of a sexual nature.

And again, threats (to kill her family of origin and make her return to Nigeria), deception (having represented to her that she would come to undertake studies), abuse of authority (for being older), taking advantage of a situation of vulnerability, of physical and mental inferiority and of a situation of necessity”.

The facts date back to 2016, when the victim, with the false promise of being able to study, landed in Reggio Calabria. Realizing her deception, the woman tried to escape several times.

When she expressed her intention to go to the police, Sonia Osazee had her transferred to Karlsruhe, Germany, to her brother Sunday Ediorans, with the intention of making her continue to prostitute herself.

The victim’s story was told in the courtroom during the trial, after the indictment by prosecutor Sara Amerio.