Teenage girls praised for helping to convict man who trafficked them to the UK

Osezua Osolase, 42, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a jury at Canterbury Crown Court.

He preyed on the vulnerable girls in Nigeria, promising them modelling careers, education and a better life. But the teenagers were trafficked to the UK before being forced into prostitution.

His victims, orphans aged 14, 16 and 17, were subjected to juju ceremonies – a form of ritual witchcraft – in which they were cut with razors, had head and pubic hair removed, and were told to swear an oath of silence.

Police believe Osolase was responsible for trafficking up to 28 victims to the UK over a 14-month period. 

Colin Walker, deputy director of the charity Ecpat UK, heralded the courage of the girls and said he hoped the conviction would encourage police and prosecutors to do more to bring child traffickers to justice.

“We welcome the dedication of police in bringing this case to court and shining a light on the horror and reality of child trafficking in the UK today,” he said. “These children were subject to terror, abuse and will live with the scars of what he did to them for the rest of their lives.”

Walker added that professionals must do more to listen to young victims of trafficking and to take them seriously.

“Child trafficking is here in the UK and cannot be ignored,” he said. “Last year the government identified nearly 500 children and more than 2,000 adults trafficked to the UK, yet there were only eight convictions under human trafficking legislation.

“These are shamefully low rates of conviction. More must be done to bring these criminals to justice and prevent more vulnerable children falling victim to abuse.”

One of the girls who gave evidence in the case said: “I am so happy he is in prison. No one noticed what he was doing. I came all the way from Nigeria and no one noticed - I knew nobody here. He raped me and told me I was nobody but now I am somebody because I helped expose him.”

Former Metropolitan Police detective Andy Desmond runs training on juju and witchcraft for professionals on behalf of Ecpat.

He said: “Juju is such a powerful spiritual belief that has been hijacked by the traffickers to control their victims.

“Although this court case is over and the trafficker has been sent to jail, the victims will strongly believe that that are still tied to their contract with the demi-gods who they were forced to swear an oath to. For them, it will take many years to recover or feel safe from the juju.”