A Nigerian human trafficker has been handed a 22-year prison sentence in the United Kingdom on a 12-count charge that included conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual exploitation, trafficking persons outside of the UK for sexual exploitation and assisting unlawful immigration.

The lady, Franca Asemota, was arrested by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on March 24, 2015 in Benin, the capital of Edo State on suspicion of money laundering and was later extradited to the United Kingdom for prosecution.

38-year-old Asemota was part of a criminal network that trafficked girls, boys and women from Nigeria to Europe, using the threat of “juju magic” to guarantee their compliance.

For many months, she was wanted by the UK government for using London Heathrow airport as a transit hub.

After her arrest by the EFCC, Asemota was extradited to the UK on 27th January 2016 following a Federal High Court ruling on the extradition request filed by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

The successful prosecution underscores the important role cooperation between law enforcement organizations across the world, in this case between the National Crime Agency of the UK and the EFCC, can play in fighting transnational organized crime.