http://odili.net/news/source/2011/jun/13/304.html

Nigerian woman convicted of human trafficking in the U.S.

News    Monday, June 13, 2011

A Nigerian,Bidemi Bello, 41, has been convicted in the USA by a federal jury on charges of two counts of forced labour,two counts of trafficking for forced labour, one count of documentservitude, one count of alien harbouring, and two counts of making false statements in a U.S. citizenship application. The trial lasted one week.

Theformer Suwanee resident was convicted Friday in Atlanta on charges involving two people recruited to the area from Nigeria.



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U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in a release:"The evidence showed that this was a case of modern-day slavery hiddenwithin an expensive home in an upscale neighborhood. The two women whowere abused here thought they were going to be nannies; instead theywere treated inhumanely. The laws of the United States protect allvictims from such abuse, regardless of where they came from or howthey came to be in the United States."

Bello recruited her first victim in 2001 and the second in 2004.

The evidence showed that once in the United States, Bello became verbally and physically abusive to both young women, prosecutors said. She beat them for not cleaning well, beat them for not responding fast enoughto her crying child, and beat them if they talked back toher. The women testified that Bello beat them with a large woodenspoon, shoes, electric cords and with her hands. One young woman wasable to take pictures of her injuries with a disposable camera.

Two witnesses, one a friend and one a relative of Bello, alsotestified about the abuse they witnessed. One woman described seeingone victim with bruises and swollen eyes from the defendant's abuse. Bothwomen advised Bello to stop abusing the girls, evidence shows.

Bello refused to stop her abuse andsend the women home, telling her friend, "I will not live infear."

This friend helped one victim escape by hiding her in the back of another woman's car, who covered her withblankets, and drove her away. Bello then went back to Nigeria forthe second victim, evidence showed.

Bello moved out of the United States during the investigation andwas indicted on the charges in September 2010. She was arrested at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston upon re-enteringthe United States.

Evidence also shows that the victims were sleep-deprived and forced to be on call for Bello's child all night. Bellowould not let the young women use modern appliances such as thewashing machine, dishwasher, or the lawn mower. The evidence showedthat Bello never sent the young women to school as she had promisedand never gave them any money for years of work.

One victim saved up $60, given to her by friends ofBello, and called a cab. She was assisted by pastors at a church inMarietta after taking the cab to the church, evidence showed.

Sentencing for Bello has been set for Aug. 24 beforeU.S. District Judge William S. Duffey Jr. The two forced labor charges and the two labor trafficking charges carry a maximumsentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.The twodocument-servitude counts carry a maximum sentence of five years inprison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The alien-harboringcount carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine ofup to $250,000.