A South African court on Wednesday sentenced a Nigerian man Ediozi Odi to six life sentences and an additional 129 years imprisonment.
Odi received three life sentences on three charges of human trafficking and three more life sentences for three charge of rape. He was convicted on 24 of the 29 charges against him.
Odi’s two drug runners, Nomsa Hlalele and Luke Botha got off lightly, receiving suspended sentences for the possession of drugs.
His bid to appeal against his convictions and sentences were also turned down by the court.
The judge, Natvarlil Ranchod, said the court viewed human trafficking in an extremely serious light hence the “harshest sentences.”
These girls were mostly vulnerable and came from poor families, court account showed. They were lured to a house, masqueraded as a shop and a barber, in Springs with promises of a better life.
The judge said the girls were forced to smoke a drug called “rocks,” a drug manufactured and sold by Odi and is believed to be highly addictive.