Four Nigerians have been arrested by Italian authorities for alleged human trafficking and forcing underage migrant girls into prostitution, including through the use of rituals.
Three of the arrested persons are women aged 42, 31, and 26. The male among them is 36 years old.
They were arrested in the province of Caserta as part of an investigation by the Catania anti-mafia police.
The suspects are accused of working with other unidentified suspects in Nigeria and Libya in human trafficking, and also causing harm to minors and exposing the injured parties to danger.
Catania police began investigation after a Nigerian minor, name withheld, told her story of how she landed in Catania in July 2016 from the Italian Coast Guard ship together with 359 other migrants.
Investigators learnt from her story that she was recruited in Nigeria with the false promise of work in Italy, after having undergone a cryptic ritual, with which she agreed to repay the sum of about 20,000 euros.
On arrival in Italy, the girls were contacted by the “madam”, Helen Ihama, who is said to have numerous contacts in Caserta.
The police also got in touch with other girls who said they worked at outposts called “
