Two Nigerian nationals brought four young women from a deprived background illegally to Ireland to force them to work in prostitution and exploit them, a court has found.
The two women, Alicia Edosa (44) and Edith Enoghaghas (31), were found guilty of human trafficking, prostitution and money laundering in a case believed to be the first conviction of its kind in Ireland. They remain in custody until a sentencing hearing later this year when victim impact statements will also be heard.
The Nigerican women lived in Mullingar which they used as a base for illegal trafficking and prostitution activities. Enoghaghase’s husband, Omonuwa Desmond Osaighbovo (30) was also found guilty of four money laundering offences.
The trial at Mullingar Circuit Court lasted almost six weeks, and the court heard that four vulnerable young women from Nigeria had been trafficked into Ireland using fake Irish passports to be abused by the accused.
Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions Fiona Murphy SC said that it was a tragic case of exploitation, and that the four women had been led to believe that they were coming to this country to engage in legitimate work.
Ms Murphy told the court that all four women took part in a voodoo ceremony in which they took an oath to the people arranging their journey before leaving Nigeria for Ireland
However, when they arrived in Ireland, the women were told they would have to repay the accused “extortionate amounts” by working as prostitutes. The women were then forced to travel to various locations around Ireland to engage in prostitution.
One of the victims told the court that she believed she was coming to Ireland to work as a shop assistant but was then forced into prostitution. She said that she was promised Ireland was “a land of milk and honey” where she could earn up to €3,500 per month doing hair extensions.
The woman said the journey from Nigeria to Ireland in 2016 took six months and that she had been raped in Libya. She also said that if she had collected €1,000 working as a prostitute, she was forced to lodge €990 in a bank and was only permitted to keep €10 for herself leaving her starving at times for days.
“I was like a sex machine and money-making machine for her,” the witness added.
The trial before Judge Francis Comerford and a jury of ten men and two women lasted over six weeks. Garda Superintendent Dermot Drea thanked the victims for their bravery and appealed to anyone with information on human trafficking to also come forward.
Ruhama, which helps women affected by prostitution, said that the conviction was “historic” and served to show victims of sexual exploitation that justice was possible. CEO of Ruhama, Barbara Condon, said the courage and resilience shown by the victims in the court was “staggering”.
“The conviction signals a key milestone in the recovery journey of these women who sought to contribute to justice against their perpetrators” she said.