The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, South Africa, has upheld the conviction and 18-year prison sentence of Nigerian national, Chinedu Justice Obasi, for human trafficking and entering into a fraudulent marriage to obtain residency.
Obasi was first convicted in December 2017 on three counts and sentenced in September 2018. The charges included two counts of harbouring women for exploitation and one count of fraudulent marriage.
Court documents revealed that between April and September 2016, Obasi housed two women, identified as Busisiwe and Puleng, at a flat in Pretoria, where he allegedly forced them into prostitution. He was said to have confiscated their earnings, supplied them with drugs, and closely monitored their movements to prevent escape.
The fraudulent marriage charge traced back to 2005, when Obasi married a South African woman without cohabiting with her. The court determined that the union was solely arranged to secure legal residency.
On appeal, Obasi argued that the trial court failed to consider his personal circumstances and overlooked certain evidence. However, Judge Graham Moshoana dismissed the claims, noting that Obasi never testified in his own defence.
Judge Moshoana described the matter as a clear example of modern-day slavery, stressing that human trafficking thrives on people’s vulnerability due to poverty, lack of education, and desperation.
He added that victims are often abused, disoriented, and trafficked for sex, labour, and other forms of exploitation.
