During the arrest of a Nigerian national in a hotel in Kimberley, two victims of human-trafficking were found in his room.
Following this, Adeyefa Adedamola Adetoye (38) has appeared in the Kimberley District Court on Tuesday, 17 October, for charges of human trafficking, assault, rape and compelled rape, possession of illegal drugs, as well as being an undocumented immigrant.
Adetoye was arrested at one of the chain motels in Kimberley, stated the regional spokesperson of the National Prosecution Authority (NPA), Mojalefa Senokoatsane. Adetoye is from Gauteng.
The two victims, a 17-year-old girl and a 29-year-old woman, informed the police that they had been trafficked from Johannesburg to Kimberley under the false pretences of a better life in the Northern Cape.
Hawks spokesperson Nomthandazo Mnisi said the arrest of the suspect on Sunday followed the escape of a third woman, also a victim of human-trafficking. She is from Boksburg and managed to escape on 7 October.
Police also found drugs, including Mandrax tablets and tik, in the accused’s room. Cell phones and documents were also confiscated.
Senokoatsane said the accused does not have legal papers to be in South Africa as his permit expired in 2018.
In his first appearance in court, Adetoye informed the court that he would be appointing his legal representative. The court remanded the matter for attorney and bail information, as the accused’s information needed to be verified before he could apply for bail.
The case was postponed until 26 October for bail information. The accused will be remanded in custody until his next court appearance, while an investigation led by police is continuing in this matter.
Adetoye was arrested after an intelligence-driven multi-disciplinary operation led by members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), Organised Crime, Intelligence, and other specialised units within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
- In another unrelated case, three accused Nigerian nationals have appeared in the Upington District Court on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, as well as rape.
The three accused were part of a group of seven suspects who were arrested in Upington on 15 October.
The accused, Paul Ogor Ndudiokwe (46), Obinna Igbokwe (39), and Kenneth Ozor Onurarah (53), allegedly conspired with other suspects to murder certain police officers.
Apparently, these regular arrests made by the police for possession or dealing of drugs were hurting their drug business, and causing them to lose money, stated Senokoatsane.
The accused were arrested after the police received an intelligence report from a witness who heard the discussions between the suspects in one of their homes.
During the meeting where the murders of the policemen were planned, one of the suspects allegedly said that he wanted to rape the wife of one of the officers in front of him.
The suspects are alleged drug dealers in Upington.
During their first appearance in court the prosecution requested that the matter be remanded for a formal bail application.
The case was postponed until Friday, 20 October, for a formal bail hearing. The accused are remanded in custody until their next court appearance. Investigations led by police are continuing in this matter.
