The State Police of Catania, delegated by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate of the Public Prosecutor's Office, implemented the precautionary application order issued by the GIP at the Court of Catania against 4 responsible parties, for various reasons, in competition with other non-identified persons in Nigeria and Libya, the crime of trafficking in persons aggravated by the transnational nature of the crime, and having acted to the detriment of minors, exposing those injured to a serious danger to life and physical integrity; crimes of aiding illegal immigration and exploitation of prostitution.
The investigation, conducted by the policemen of the Flying Squad began with the statements made by a young Nigerian town, arrived at the port of Catania on July 2016, together with other 359 migrants of various nationalities.
From the story of the woman who was a minor at the time, we learned that the girl had been recruited in the country of origin with the false promise of a job to be carried out in Italy with the sister of the woman who had recruited her: after being subjected to the ritual esoteric ju-ju, with whom she had undertaken to repay the contracted engagement debt of approximately 20 thousand euros, had left Nigeria and, via Libya, had arrived in Italy in July 2016.
When she arrived on the national territory, the girl had been contacted by the "madame" who was waiting for her in Italy: the woman had announced that she would take it from the reception center where she had been placed to start prostitution on the street in order to pay off the debt of engagement contracted in motherland.
The technical activity initiated, managed by the policemen of the Catania Mobile Squad, made it possible to identify the madame and also ascertain that the aforementioned minor was not an isolated affair since the woman had recruited other compatriots already "earmarked" in the sector of prostitution on the street and also had control of numerous workstations in the Caserta area which he granted to fellow countrymen in exchange for a monthly payment of about 100 euros (a position that was called "UGBO" or "the land" to indicate just the few meters of road assigned).
The investigation also made it possible to identify the other suspects, some of whom related to the woman by kinship or affinity, such as her brother and the latter's wife who appeared to carry out the same illicit activity as IHAMA in the sector of trafficking in human beings and in constant contact with it also to comment on the progress of each other's business: in fact, in addition to managing her own victims of trafficking, as mentioned above, she granted the positions on the road to other girls who were victims of other madames, so that said victims were charged with the payment of the debt of engagement, the costs of food and accommodation to the madames who hosted them and the payment of the job to the woman.
Of particular investigative interest were the comments of the suspects regarding the effects of Edo State Ewuare II 's Edictum declaration proclaimed before the beginning of the investigations, comments recorded in constant captative activity: with this edict, in fact, the Oba had "Annulled" the effects of Ju-Ju rites celebrated in order to bind the victims to obedience to their mothers, and this evidently put at risk the power of coercion exercised to force young people to comply.
In this regard, some of the suspects, worried about the possible repercussions of the edict on the performance of their business, proposed specific interpretations, stating that the Edict - like the law - could not have retroactive effect and could not apply to victims already subjected to exploitation in Europe and previously subjected to the Ju-Ju rite, also affirmed with certainty that the Edict could only be valid for the citizens of Edo State and not for all Nigerian citizens (“the rules of Oba must be interpreted properly !! ! because Oba has never talked about canceling debts ... and then ... whatever it takes, I want my debt to be paid !!! ... Oba has never told any girl that he is already here (in Italy ed. ) not to pay one's debt !!! ... "in fact! and then ... I don't care what Oba says !!! I'm not from Benin !!!").
The investigated 4s, identified in their respective homes by the policemen of the Mobile Squadron of Catania, in collaboration with the policemen of the Mobile Squad of Caserta, completed the formalities of the ceremony, were associated at the Caserta district house at the disposal of the AG