Iyamu — 1st Modern Slavery Act cross-border juju conviction

Cited record

Sources

National Crime Agency (2018) 'London nurse jailed for 14 years in landmark slavery case', National Crime Agency, 4 July. Available at: wired-gov.net (mirror of the original NCA press release, which is no longer online; Accessed: 14 July 2026).

'Josephine Iyamu, 51, is the first British national to be convicted under the Modern Slavery Act for offences committed overseas. ... Using her status, Iyamu recruited vulnerable women from rural villages and promised them a better life in Europe. Before they left, she put her victims through a Juju ceremony - a humiliating ritual designed to exert control over them... The women believed serious harm would come to them or their families if they broke their oath to Iyamu or tried to escape... They detailed the horrendous conditions they endured whilst travelling over-land across Africa, and then by boat to Italy before flying to Germany using false ID documents provided to them by Iyamu's associates... Prior to Iyamu's trial, NAPTIP officers secured a video of a Juju priest conducting a revocation ceremony taking away the oath Iyamu's victims felt bound by... On Wednesday 4 July she was sentenced to 14 years in prison, 13 years for the slavery offences and one year for perverting the course of justice, to be served consecutively.'

Attorney General's Office (2018) 'First ever convicted cross-border sex-trafficker has sentence increased', GOV.UK. Available at: gov.uk (Accessed: 14 July 2026).

'Josephine Iyamu has had her sentence increased to 18 years after the Solicitor General's referral... From her south London home, Josephine Iyamu, now 51, organised the travel of 5 women from Nigeria to Germany for exploitation through prostitution for her own financial gain... The victims were all vulnerable young women who knew Iyamu could get them into Europe. In return for arranging their travel, Iyamu demanded they repay her up to £35,000 once they began working in Germany, and were told that breaking this promise would result in activation of a voodoo curse. After Iyamu's arrest in 2017, she plotted to stop the case against her through intimidation of the victims' families... Iyamu was originally sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court in July, where she was given 14 years imprisonment... Today, the Court of Appeal increased her sentence to 18 years imprisonment.'