Nigerian women jailed for human trafficking and money laundering in Ireland

 two Nigerian women have received jail sentences of five years and eight months and five years and one month respectively, After becoming the first people in Ireland to be convicted of human trafficking for the prostitution ring they ran.

Alicia Edosa, 45, and Edith Enoghaghase, 31, were each found guilty of two counts of trafficking women around Ireland on dates between September 2016 and June 2018 following a six-week jury trial at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court in June. They were also each convicted of a single charge of organising prostitution as well as a series of money laundering offences.

Enoghaghase’s husband, Omonuwa Desmond Osaighbovo, was also convicted of four related money laundering offences. All three had pleaded not guilty to a total of 63 separate offences. At the sentencing hearing on Tuesday, September 28, Judge Francis Comerford said the two accused had taken advantage of vulnerable women who had no real alternative but to accept their exploitation before finally summoning enough courage to break free.

The judge also sentenced both women to 16 months in prison for the prostitution conviction and 20 months for the money laundering offences, to run concurrently. An additional consecutive sentence of 20 months was imposed on Edosa because of the greater number of money laundering offences.

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The trial heard evidence from four women who claimed they were forced into prostitution in Ireland after undergoing a voodoo ceremony in Nigeria. The victims narrated their harrowing experiences traveling from Nigeria to Ireland and how they were made to swear not to escape or speak to anyone in Ireland -or risk h*rm to themselves and their families.

They had all travelled in the belief that they were going to be working as shop assistants but ended up being forced to work as prostitutes in various locations around the country.The victims were told they owed the defendants sums ranging from €35,000 to €60,000 for arranging their travel to Ireland.