#Nigeria 
A Nigerian mother who allegedly cheated a Nigerian teenager to fly to the UK as a family slave under the pretext of a better life, has claimed that she was "part of the family."
Afolake Adeniji, 50, arranged for Iyabo Prosper to move to London from his home in Nigeria in 2003, when he was 13, according to SouthWark Crown Court, London Mail reported.
Promising a better life and free education, he agreed to come to live with Adeniji, first in Beckton, east of London, then in Chelmsford, Essex.
But the teenager was forced to wake up at 5:30 am each morning to care for Adeniji's children, spending the rest of his day completing household chores and only eating once the rest of the family had been served, they said the jurors last week.
When pressed by prosecutors yesterday about what went on inside her home, Adeniji denied all of the allegations put to her, claiming Ms Prosper, now 27, was “making up stories.” “She was completely submissive to the defendant and her family and any confidence she had was lost and ebbed away,” said Ms Prosper’s lawyer, Irshad Sheikh.
Adeniji denies arranging or facilitating the travel of a person to the UK for exploitation and inflicting GBH, “namely post-traumatic stress disorder” upon Iyabo. Giving evidence Adeniji told Southwark Crown Court that Ms Prosper was “making up all these stories.”
Mr Sheikh said: “What I suggest is that Iyabo was brought here to this country to ‘help’ you and do the chores that she has mentioned.” “That is not correct,” Adeniji replied, before the prosecutor followed up: “And that is what she did, I would suggest.” Adeniji answered: “I do not need her to help me. Everything was already in place before she arrived.”
She explained to jurors how she got to know Iyabo through her older brother, who worked at the home of Adeniji’s parents. Adeniji refused Mr Sheikh’s suggestion that he too was a “houseboy”, instead describing him as “like a son to my parents.”
Following her arrest in October 2014, Adeniji blasted the accusations as “untrue”, instead claiming that Ms Prosper was “part of a loving family” and “given financial and emotional support.” Describing the time Ms Prosper eventually moved out, she added: “There was no fight. There was nothing.
“It was amicable when she left and she was coming back as she wished, not to help me.” She added: “I didn’t need anybody to help me do chores and look after the children. All I did was just to help Iyabo.” Adeniji, of no fixed address but previously of Chelmsford, Essex, denies arranging or facilitating the travel to the UK of a person with a view to exploitation and inflicting GBH. The trial continues. Did You ❤ ❤ this post? DROP A C.O.M.M.E.N.T ... spill TEA.... Easy on Shade #jaiyeorie
A Nigerian mother who allegedly cheated a Nigerian teenager to fly to the UK as a family slave under the pretext of a better life, has claimed that she was "part of the family."
Afolake Adeniji, 50, arranged for Iyabo Prosper to move to London from his home in Nigeria in 2003, when he was 13, according to SouthWark Crown Court, London Mail reported.
Promising a better life and free education, he agreed to come to live with Adeniji, first in Beckton, east of London, then in Chelmsford, Essex.
But the teenager was forced to wake up at 5:30 am each morning to care for Adeniji's children, spending the rest of his day completing household chores and only eating once the rest of the family had been served, they said the jurors last week.When pressed by prosecutors yesterday about what went on inside her home, Adeniji denied all of the allegations put to her, claiming Ms Prosper, now 27, was “making up stories.” “She was completely submissive to the defendant and her family and any confidence she had was lost and ebbed away,” said Ms Prosper’s lawyer, Irshad Sheikh.
“Effectively that was what she was living the life of domestic servitude. It soon became apparent that Iyabo had become miserable, had become extremely depressed, was having negative thoughts and suicidal ideas.”
Adeniji denies arranging or facilitating the travel of a person to the UK for exploitation and inflicting GBH, “namely post-traumatic stress disorder” upon Iyabo. Giving evidence Adeniji told Southwark Crown Court that Ms Prosper was “making up all these stories.”
Mr Sheikh said: “What I suggest is that Iyabo was brought here to this country to ‘help’ you and do the chores that she has mentioned.” “That is not correct,” Adeniji replied, before the prosecutor followed up: “And that is what she did, I would suggest.” Adeniji answered: “I do not need her to help me. Everything was already in place before she arrived.”
She explained to jurors how she got to know Iyabo through her older brother, who worked at the home of Adeniji’s parents. Adeniji refused Mr Sheikh’s suggestion that he too was a “houseboy”, instead describing him as “like a son to my parents.”
“He was part of the extended family,” she added. Adeniji said Iyabo came to live “as part of my family” after her arrival from Nigeria. She said the teenager had her own bedroom and woke up “whenever she wants.”
Mr Sheikh asked: “So, she didn’t get into the routine of waking up at about 5.30am? She didn’t get into any routine like that at all?” Adeniji replied: “Iyabo is making up all these stories. It is not correct.” Adeniji described all household chores being completed on Saturdays with all family members chipping in to help.
“My husband is an early riser, he will have hoovered the stairs and cleaned the sitting room,” she said. “By the time we woke up, whatever was left, washing the bathroom it could be me, Iyabo, it could be anybody, whatever was left we just took it because whatever needs to be done we just did it.”
Following her arrest in October 2014, Adeniji blasted the accusations as “untrue”, instead claiming that Ms Prosper was “part of a loving family” and “given financial and emotional support.” Describing the time Ms Prosper eventually moved out, she added: “There was no fight. There was nothing.
“It was amicable when she left and she was coming back as she wished, not to help me.” She added: “I didn’t need anybody to help me do chores and look after the children. All I did was just to help Iyabo.” Adeniji, of no fixed address but previously of Chelmsford, Essex, denies arranging or facilitating the travel to the UK of a person with a view to exploitation and inflicting GBH. The trial continues. Did You ❤ ❤ this post? DROP A C.O.M.M.E.N.T ... spill TEA.... Easy on Shade #jaiyeorie
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