Nigerian Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Trafficking Teenagers via the UK for Sexual Exploitation

35 year-old Odosa Usiobaifo, a Nigerian man who resides in Enfield, North London has been jailed for 14 years for being involved in the trafficking of 2 Nigerian teenagers.

He was found guilty of conspiring to traffick for the purposes of sexual exploitation following a four-week trial at Isleworth crown court. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration earlier on in the trial.

According to the UK Border Agency, the girls who were aged 14 and 15 at the time, were stopped by Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport separately on 17 September and 23 November 2011 using false passports showing they were adults. They had arrived on flights from Lagos and were attempting to transit to Paris.

It was later found out that the girls were being trafficked to mainland Europe, via London, for the purposes of sexual exploitation. They were placed in local authority care but on 6th April 2012 were reported missing to Sussex police by their respective foster carers.

The UK Border Agency further reports that investigations revealed that contact had been made with the girls and Usiobaifo had collected them from a pre-arranged meeting point before they were given false passports and tickets and placed on a flight to Spain. One of the girls was refused entry to Spain and returned to the UK. She remains in the care of the UK authorities. The other passed through Spanish border controls and is still missing.

Usiobaifo was arrested at his flat in Enfield on 3 September 2012 alongside his partner Katie Igha, 25. Last Thursday a jury found Usiobaifo guilty of all charges but acquitted Igha of trafficking.