[Mhiz Rebecca]

A high court in Gauteng, South Africa, has handed
three life sentences and an additional 106 years
imprisonment to two Nigerians for human
trafficking. The sentences were given at the
weekend in Johannesburg.
The pair Frank Amaku (pictured), and Ilo Promise
Somadina (25), were arrested by the Hawks’
Serious Organised Crime investigating unit in April
2016 at a hideous dwelling in Fourways where they
reportedly ran a brothel and held victims captive.
Five victims were rescued during the operation and
taken to a place of safety.
Godfrey Lebeya, national head of the Directorate
for Priority Crime Investigation, applauded the
investigation team for working around the clock to
ensure that the accused were ultimately convicted
and sentenced.
“The sentence couldn’t have come at a better time,
taking into consideration that August is celebrated
as Women’s Month in South Africa,” he said.
“This is a time to once again warn those who abuse
women, that they will be brought to book and
justice will be served.”
One of their victims, from Upington was given the
nom de guerre of Helena Boswell.
She was kept at the Fourways home, where she and
three other women spent months servicing the
pair’s clients until they were rescued.
The Nigerians denied their level of involvement in
human trafficking and have stated on multiple
occasions they will appeal the conviction.
Their lawyer, Moleko Ratau, asked that the court be
lenient with the pair as they were “relatively
young” when the crimes took place in 2016.
The court was told that duo kidnapped the women
specifically for financial gain, transforming them
into sexual objects and dehumanising them, which
was evident by Boswell’s testimony that she had
been starved and forced to live in terrible
conditions.