A Nigerian couple, Jude Ikenna Ijegulu, aged 34, and his partner Elizabeth Botes, aged 29, have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms in South Africa for charges related to human trafficking and operating a brothel. The sentencing took place at the Pretoria High Court.
The couple was found guilty of running a brothel in Centurion, Pretoria, over a period of 10 months from 2016 to 2017. During this time, they held two women against their will and forced them into sexual exploitation. Jude Ikenna Ijegulu, specifically, was charged with two counts of rape for sexually assaulting the women. Additionally, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for each count of rape. He also received an additional two-year sentence for being in South Africa illegally.
According to reports from the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Ijegulu’s name will be added to the National Register of Sexual Offenders as part of his sentencing.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s Gauteng spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, emphasized the seriousness of the crimes committed by the couple. Mahanjana stated that the couple not only operated a brothel and trafficked women but also subjected the victims to physical and sexual assault, supplying them with drugs, and compelling them to provide sexual services to clients.
The court’s decision to impose life sentences reflects the gravity of the offenses under South African law, aiming to deter such criminal activities and provide justice for the victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.