Monday, June 23, 2014

Arrest of Nigerian National unveils a chain of crimes

New Delhi, Jun 24 : Last week, a Nigerian National residing in Bangalore with his wife and two other people from Manipur were arrested for their alleged involvement in cheating a woman of Rs 11 lakh on the pretext of providing a job.

On further further investigation carried out by The Sangai Express it has come to light the story involves a series of forced labour, trafficking, assault and rape of young girls, beside the fraud charges.

Two women from Mizoram and one woman and a boy from Manipur came from their respective State after they were promised jobs in a restaurant in Bangalore, allegedly by Douthanglian (also from Manipur and is arrested now).

While the women are in their twenties, the boy is reportedly about 16 years of age.


Arrest of Nigerian National unveils a chain of crimes
Arrest of Nigerian National unveils a chain of crimes


Sources in Bangalore informed that the boy and the girls were made to work in a night Bar.

This night Bar was owned and managed by the Nigerian national, Prince Johnson (aged about 39) and his wife Jennie (from Manipur) .

However even after more than a month they were not paid their salary.

The two girls from Mizoram managed to escape and somehow the information reached one social activist and Profesor at UTC Bangalore, Rini Ralte , who told this Correspondent that she and a team later rescued the other two from Manipur.

"We had to literally push our way through to get inside the dormitory where the Bar employers were huddled together," Ralte said and added that most of them were Nigerian and African nationals.

On further investigation, after the four were kept in a shelter home , the girls revealed that they were sexually assaulted several times by their employer, said Ralte.

"We made arrangements for their repatriation and the three were sent back to their home State, but the Manipuri woman was named in the the cheating case of Rs 11 lakh," Ralte further informed.

The woman, Mrs Kim (name changed) is a widow and a mother of two.

A bank account was operated in her name where the Rs 11 lakh was allegedly deposited.

The people who were cheated of the Rs 11 lakh also belong to Manipur.

According to Ralte, Mrs Kim could only recollect that she was made to sign a document , the content of which she did not have any knowledge about.

"She studied only upto class V," said Ralte.

In her late 20s in the Night Bar, Kim was made to do menial works.

Moreover, sources in Mumbai told The Sangai Express that the Nigerian National was involved in a case related to an alleged rape of a 25 year old student from Manipur earlier in May 2012.The Nigerian was arrested and kept in judicial custody and later was released on bail after 14 days.

On condition of anonymity, a relative of Ms Lucy (name changed) said that they received a summon only once from Bangalore police to appear for investigation at the police station in June 2012 .

Since then there has been no further communication .

They came to know that the accused is living a free life only from the news report of his arrest on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the rape survivor has sought help from the State Government.

"Some relief in the form of a compensation of about a few thousand came from the social welfare" said a relative.

Successive appeals for further relief and help has not yielded any response or action so far.

It may be mentioned that the survivor could not continue her studies after the traumatic incident.