Alieu Badara Nyelekeh, on diverse dates between the 12th July and the 23rd July 2019, together with other persons unknown conspired to traffic Shaban Aziz and his family with the aim of exploitation from Nigeria to Canada. The accused faces nine counts charges by the Sierra Leone Police, amongst which is conspiracy to commit human trafficking, and obtaining money by false pretence. On 17th September 2019, the accused appeared before Magistrate Hannah Bonnie of the Freetown Magistrate Court No.1 at Pademba Road. Testifying in Court, the complainant, Shaban Aziz, informed the Court that his reason for leaving the shores of Nigeria was to travel to Canada on a vacation. He noted that while in Nigeria, the travel agent from Nigeria told him that he will transit to Sierra Leone and while in Sierra Leone the accused will be in charge of all their travel arrangements.
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The witness said arriving at the Sierra Leone international airport, they were picked up by the accused who took away his passport and that of his wife and two kids. He added that the accused requested for $50 USD for Sierra Leone visa, noting that he gave him the sum of $200 USD as visa fee for his family. The witness told the Court that he is a Nigerian, but was awarded with a Solomon Island passport, which the accused asked him to pay $600 USD in order for their passport to be swapped. The witness underscored that the accused informed him that there will be no problem with regards to his travel to Canada when he asked the accused as to his state of travelling. Aziz said he gave $1,200 USD to the accused for his ticket, adding that the accused told him to pay $6,300 USD or else they will not travel. The witness said he ended up paying $4,900 USD to Kenya Airways for his ticket, noting that after all of the money spent they were unable to travel. He concluded that the Solomon Island passport was detected to be fake by the profile officer at the airport, noting that he made statement at ONS and the Transitional Organized Crime Unit in Lungi. He said the accused told him that he has been arrested and pleaded with him not to give evidence against him in Court. Magistrate Bonnie remanded the accused at the Male Correctional Centre.
MJB/17/9/19
By Mohamed J. Bah
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