Nigerian woman Franca Asemota sentenced to 22 years in jail for trafficking women and girls to the UK

Franca Asemota from Benin, Edo State, has been found guilty of eight counts of conspiracy to traffic young girls. Ms Asemota forced dozens of teenage orphans into prostitution and slavery using the threat of witchcraft. She used Heathrow as a hub to traffic at least 40 girls and young women into Europe from remote villages in Nigeria after promising them jobs, education and a better life.

She then used 'witchcraft', threats and violence to force them in to the European sex trade. She was later arrested in Nigeria, extradited to the UK for trial and has now been sentenced.