Nigerian woman jailed 140 months for human trafficking

A Nigerian woman, Bidemi Bello, has been sentenced to 140 months in jail by a United States Court on human trafficking charges.

The 42-year-old Nigerian, who became a US citizen while she committed the crime, was also ordered by District Judge William S. Duffey Jr., to be deported from the US upon completion of her sentence.

Bello, who was first arraigned last September, was on June12, 2011 convicted of an eight count charge of forced labour, document servitude, alien harboring for financial gain and making false statement in an application to become US citizen.

Evidence and testimony at trial showed that Bello,formerly based in Suwanee, Georgia, brought her two victims simply identified as Laome and Dupe at separate times to US to work as nannies to her child. In return, Bello had promised she would send the young women to school in US, and for one victim, she also promised to pay her as well.

Laome was said to have traveled to US with Bello in October 2001 when she was 17 years old, using a fraudulent British passport she obtained for her, while Dupe traveled with an associate of Bello to US in November, 2004 when she was 20, also using a fraudulent British passport.

Upon arrival in US, Bello was said to have reneged on her promise to the victims and their families that she would send the two ladies to school in US and even pay one of them for her services.

She was also said to have threatened, physically abused, and isolated both victims from their families in order to force them to work for her without pay while also taking custody of their passports and government identification documents in order to maintain their services - an offence known as document servitude.

Testimony at trial also showed that the victims were sleep deprived, as they were forced to be on call for Bello's child all night, while Bello, who lived in an upscale home with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, made her victims sleep on the floor or a couch, prevented them from using the shower, or eat the food they cooked, and even forced them to eat spoilt and moldy food.

Apart from giving them several tasks to perform, she was also said to have prevented them from using modern appliances such as washing machine, dishwasher and lawn mower.

One of Bello's friend was said to have helped Laome to escape by hiding her in the back of another woman's car, who covered her with blankets, and drove her away while she was at a party. It was after her escape that Bello brought in the second victim, Dupe.

Dupe was said to have escaped by saving up $60 that was given to her by friends of Bello, before she was assisted by pastors at a church in Marietta after taking a cab to the church.

In accordance with US laws against such abuses, Laome and Dupe were given T-visas which allowed them to remain in US to assist in the prosecution of Bello. A friend and a relative of Bello were among the witnesses that testified at the trial about the abuse they witnessed.

Bello, who had moved out of US during the investigation, was found and arrested at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston upon re-entering US last year.

Quoting the Special Agent in Charge of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) in Atlanta, Brock Nicholson, a statement from the Department of Justice said, "This sentencing closes the door on a shocking case of modern day slavery.

"Human trafficking deprives victims of their freedom and dignity and it has no place in our world. Cases like this one serve to strengthen our resolve to protect and defend those who may not be able to evade or escape the grip of human trafficking."

Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, Thomas E. Perez, in his reaction noted that, "holding other human beings against their will in servitude is a violation of human rights that will not be tolerated in our free society," adding, US was committed "to combating human trafficking in all its forms, vindicating the rights of trafficking victims and bringing human traffickers to justice."

Bello, is however not the first US-based Nigerians to be entrapped by the lure of cheap labour. Last year, a Nigerian couple, Emmanuel Nnaji and Ngozi Nnaji, was sentenced to 20 years and nine years in prison respectively, for trafficking a Nigerian widow and enslaving her for over eight years in US.

In 2006, a Nigerian-born medical doctor, Adaobi Stella Udeozor, a resident of Darnestown, Maryland was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison and fined for enslaving another Nigerian. She was also ordered to pay restitution of $110,249 to her 23-year old victim for her years of unpaid services.

In 1999, another Nigerian couple, Emeka Udogwu and Ifeoma Ezeona Udogwu, were arrested for trafficking two young Nigerian girls into the United States and forcing them to be their servants.

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Many Nigerian citizens detained in Libya

The al-Judaida prison in Libya which was hotbed of abuse and injustice has over 1,000 inmates, majority of whom were Nigerians detained by the National Transitional Council, the BBC reports.

Taher Husnein, who runs the prison, now said that some of the inmates are innocent of any crimes.

Among them are hundreds of Nigerians and other Africans - men and women - who had been detained because they did not have the right paperwork to stay in Libya.

"Please, please do something to help us," begged a desperate woman, Olichi Dioka.

Amnesty International has acknowledged the major challenges facing Libya's new authorities.

But it has urged them to ensure that continued abuse does not "stain the new Libya's human rights record".

"Only 1% of the people in here are guilty," said one detainee.

"The people who are really guilty have all fled. We've all been rounded up because they think we supported Gaddafi. But everyone had to support Gaddafi."

Another man said he had been detained because pro-government militias were looking for his brother who had served as a soldier. One was picked up after a picture of Col. Gaddafi was found under his car seat.

Another said he had simply been caught up in a private vendetta. "They have done no investigation, nothing," he said, with tears rolling down his face.

"I want to go home."

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Chinua Achebe Tops Forbes' List of Influential Africans

Highly influential American Forbes Magazine, well-known for its lists, has published a list 40 most powerful and influential celebrities in Africa. Nigerian Novelist, Chinua Achebe, tops the list that also has ten other Nigerians.

Early in September, influential American Magazine Forbes called for nominations for a list of the 40 most powerful celebrities in contemporary Africa. Over 7,500 nominations came in. After a thorough sifting, a list of 40 eventually emerged. The list, dominated by Nigerians, included actors, cerebral authors, musicians, movie producers, super models, television personalities and athletes from across Africa. Nigerian novelist, Chinua Achebe was ranked No. 1 while Senegalese musician, Youssou N'dour and Ivorian football star, Didier Drogba ranked second and third respectively.

The other Nigerians on the list are Nobel Laureate, Professsor Wole Soyinka; Afro-beat musician, Femi Kuti; music producer, Don Jazzy; actress Genevieve Nnaji and novelist Chimamanda Adichie. Others are Tuface Idibia, P-Square, D'Banj, Nneka and Asa, all musicians.

How Forbes Arrived at 40 Names...

How did Forbes Magazine narrow down the huge number of nominations to 40? It explains thus: "Determining the celebrities who exert the highest degree of influence in contemporary African pop culture involved sifting through the nominations for the individuals with the highest numbers of votes, and then measuring their media visibility - exposure in print, television, radio and online. It also included their number of web references on Google, television/radio mentions and their general clout across the continent."

Forbes said further that a robust social media presence would have been an invaluable yardstick for determining the intensity of influence these individuals exert over their enthusiasts. However, apart from Senegalese hip-hop act Akon, Nigerian beat maker Michael Collins (Don Jazzy) and a handful of others who boast 6-figure followers on networks like Facebook and Twitter, "an overwhelming number of Africa's most influential celebrities have either a very small or non-existent social media presence."

Africa's favourite idols who use their celebrity status to impact social change are also on the rise, so says Forbes. "Take Liya Kebede, for instance. The Ethiopian-born supermodel has leveraged on her celebrity status to raise awareness about maternal health issues. She currently serves as the World Health Organization's Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and child health. She also founded the Liya Kebede Foundation, which seeks to reduce maternal mortality rates in Ethiopia and around the world by funding advocacy, training and medical programs."

Forbes said further that Drogba had also built on the cult-like following he enjoys at home to call for peace in his war-torn country: "Cote D'Ivoire had been enduring a civil war since 2000. After he led the Ivorian national team to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, Drogba famously made a plea to the combatants, requesting that they drop their weapons in pursuit of peace. They listened. A few days later, there was a cease-fire. Apart from playing a pivotal role in the peace process, Drogba also donated a $5 million endorsement fee he earned from Pepsi to construct a world-class hospital in his hometown of Abidjan."

CHINUA ACHEBE

Albert Achebe (born 16 November 1930) popularly known as Chinua Achebe is best known for his first novel Things Fall Apart which is the most widely read book in modern African literature. Raised by Christian parents in the Igbo town of Ogidi in southeastern Nigeria, Achebe excelled at school and won a scholarship for undergraduate studies. He became fascinated with world religions and traditional African cultures, and began writing stories as a university student. After graduation, he worked for the Nigerian Broadcasting Service and soon moved to the metropolis of Lagos.

WOLE SOYINKA

Nobel Laureate Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka, is the first African to win a Nobel prize. He was born 13 July 1934 is a writer, poet and playwright. He was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature and became the first African in Africa and in Diaspora to be so honoured. In 1994, he was designated UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Goodwill Ambassador for the promotion of African culture, human rights, freedom of expression, media and communication.

Femi Kuti

He is the first son of the late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Femi has been able to leverage on his father's brilliance, fame and fortune to position himself as one of Africa's wealthiest entertainers. He owns the popular Afrikan Shrine. Like his father, he has many popular albums to his credits like Bang, Bang, Bang. He also rakes in a lot of income from international shows and concerts worldwide.

Genevieve

Genevieve is one of the leading Nollywood actresses. She has acted in over 100 home videos in the country and more than a dozen TV soaps. Suave and delectable, Genevieve has also featured in many commercial advertisements and has received many endorsements. Last year, she appeared in the popular Oprah Winfrey show.

CHIMAMANDA ADICHIE

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born on 15 September 1977 in Enugu, Nigeria, the fifth of six children to Igbo parents, Grace Ifeoma and James Nwoye Adichie.

At the age of nineteen, Chimamanda left for the United States. She gained a scholarship to study communication at Drexel University in Philadelphia for two years, and she went on to pursue a degree in communication and political science at Eastern Connecticut State University. She is the author of the award winning Half a Yellow Sun and Purple Hibiscus.

Tuface Idibia

There is hardly any doubt that he is one of the most successful entertainers to ever come out of Nigeria and Africa as a whole. Born Innocent Ujah Idibia, Tuface has at various times won the MTV Base music award in far away UK, Best African Act at the MOBO Awards and at the KORA Music Awards.

He has received endorsements from Guinness and Airtel, among others.

Psquare

They are a set of musical twins who took the Nigeria's entertainment scene by storm. With a sprawling mansion put in the region of N100m, Psquare, who have wined and dined with some of Africa's leaders-presidents and ministers alike-remain one of Nigeria's exports that have distinguished themselves in the world of entertainment.

Don Jazzy

Born Michael Enebeli, the prolific music producer, has been able to sell himself into the major market in the American music industry. After he formed the Mohits Inc. with his partner, D'Banj following their return from the United Kingdom, this chubby producer, who doubles as a musician, is a multi-talented entertainer. He became the toast of top American music acts like Jay Z, Kanye West and Kid Kudi after he produced a remix of one of D'Banj's hit song, 'Mr Endowed' with American superstar, Snoop Dogg. He is at present signed on to Kanye West's G.O.O.D Music.

D'Banj

Tagged the Kokomaster, D'Banj was born Dapo Oyebanjo. He remains one of Nigeria's most talked about and celebrated entertainers. He has done musical collaborations with many local and foreign acts and was recently signed on by Kanye West's G.O.O.D Music after a chance meeting with the rapper in Dubai. D'Banj latest album which is enjoying rave reviews on radio and television in the country is called Oliver Twist.

Nneka

She is a Nigerian who made her name in music in Germany. Though Nneka's music is gaining ground in Nigeria as well, she remains one of the best exports from Nigeria who has done so well and brilliantly shown her musical talent.

Asa

Asa remains one of the few Nigerian musicians who has done well for herself in the world of music. Her business selling point is her unique voice. She broke out while under the tutelage of Questionmark Entertainment in Nigeria and has endeared herself to the world showbiz impresarios in the UK and France with her genre of music, afro soul.

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U.S. warns its citizens against trips to Nigeria

The United States yesterday drew the attention of its citizens to the risks associated with visiting Nigeria and asked them to avoid non-essential trips to the country.

The U.S. Department of State, which issued the warning, particularly pointed out 10 states in the country that were very risky because of the growing incidents of kidnapping, armed robbery and other armed attacks.

The risky states are: Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers, Abia, Edo, Imo; the city of Jos in Plateau State, Bauchi and Borno states.

A statement by the State Department says that violent crime committed in Nigeria by individuals and gangs, as well as by persons wearing police and military uniforms, remained a problem throughout the country.

The advisory recalled several violent crimes that have been unleashed on the nation by armed gangs and religious sects, among them the bombing of the United Nations building and the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja as well and other locations in the country.

The statement further maintained that travel by foreigners to areas considered by the Nigerian government to be conflict areas without prior consultation and coordination with local security authorities was not recommended.

"The Nigerian government may view such travel as inappropriate and potentially illegal, and it may detain violators," it noted.

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The sister of late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua dies at 68

The elder sister of late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, Hajiya Mairo Tafida is dead.

Aged 68, late Mairo died at Federal Medical Centre Katsina on Thursday night. Until her death, she was acting as the head of the Yar'Adua family as she was considered to have influenced major decisions of the family.

Family source said late Mairo was asthmatic and had an attack on Thursday evening and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre for treatment.

Until her death, late Mairo was a stalwart of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and actively participated in the party's campaign during the last election.

The deceased was survived by her elderly Mother, Hajiya Dada, six children and many grandchildren.

Late Mairo was buried on Yesterday at popular Dan Marina Cemetery were late President Yar'Adua was buried.

Meanwhile, President of the Senate, Senator David Mark has condoled the family of former President Yar'Adua over the death Hajiya Mairo Tafida.

In a condolence message to the matriarch of the Yar'Adua family, Hajiya Dada, Mark said: "I received the news of the death of Hajiya Mairo Tafida with rude shock", adding, "At a time like this, her able hands and experience are needed for contribution to the socio-political development of the nation."

He prayed to Almighty Allah to grant the entire family the fortitude to bear the loss.

Mark however asked the family to take solace in the fact that late Mairo lived a short but eventful life worthy of emulation.

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