S’African judge sentences Nigerian, eke Ogochukwu to 20 years imprisonment for ‘trafficking’

MAJAKE Mabesele, a high court judge in Johannesburg, 
has handed a 20-year jail sentence to Eke Ogochukwu, a Nigerian, who was convicted of sexually exploiting a 15-year-old girl and forcing her into prostitution.

Ogochukwu was found guilty of four charges relating to human trafficking.

His victim was said to have escaped in August 2015, and
received help from a nearby church in Rosettenville. After 
the minor escaped officials alerted the police and 
Ogochukwu was arrested. Known to the girl as Johnny, Ogochukwu was said to have sexually abused her.

“Clearly what hap-pened to her was cruel, inhuman and
degrading and was a violation of the right to human dignity,
which is enshrined in our constitution,” Mabesele said.

“The perpetrators of these offences deserve severe
punishment in order to protect and promote a bright future 
for our young generation.” The court heard that he would drug her, force her to perform sexual acts with other men and take the money she made through prostitution.

The young girl was reportedly given 50 rand a day for food
and a further rand 100 for every man she was forced to
 sleep with.

The judge said Ogochukwu took advantage of the teenager
 as she was homeless after running away from her Vereeniging home in 2015 following a fight with her mother.