London Couple Kept Nigerian Man As Slave for 24 Years

A Nigerian that was deceived into slavery for the last 24 years has found freedom finally.

Emmanuel and Antan Edet

A couple kept a man as their slave for 24 years after smuggling him into the UK as a teenager, never paying their captive and making him sleep on the floor and work for up to 17 hours a day.

According to London 24, Emanuel Edet, 61, and Antan Edet, 58, illegally smuggled their victim into the UK in 1989 - pretending he was their son - before forcing him into slavery.

The police explained today how the victim “believed they would pay him for his work as a ‘houseboy’ and would provide him with an education while he was in the UK”.

However the couple, who were convicted today at Harrow Crown Court, instead stole their victim’s passport, refused to let him go to school and made him clean and look after their two children.

Damaris Lakin, the reviewing lawyer, said: “Emanuel and Antan Edet have cruelly robbed this victim of 24 years of his life. They have treated him with complete contempt.

“Not only did the defendants have total psychological control over the victim, but they also had control of his passport and identity documents.

“He was told by the Edets that if he left the house and reported matters to the police he would be arrested as an illegal immigrant and sent back to Nigeria. He believed this and felt trapped and completely dependent on the Edets.

“The victim’s dreams of gaining an education in the UK were destroyed as he realised the Edets had no intention of sending him to school and he was made to work up to 17 hours a day, eat all his meals alone and have no social interaction with the family.

“He was made to sleep largely on the floor in hallways despite there often being a spare bedroom in the houses where the family lived.”

Modern day slavery is on the rise across the UK and CPS prosecutors want to crack down on perpetrators.

Mr Lakin added: “This was a shocking case of modern day slavery which has no place in our society. I hope that the convictions today give some comfort to the victim and that he can now start rebuilding his life.”

Both defendants were convicted of the following charges and will be sentenced at Harrow Crown Court tomorrow  for:

- Cruelty to a child contrary the Children and Young Persons Act 1933

- Slavery contrary the Coroners and Justice Act 2009

- Assisting unlawful immigration contrary to the Immigration Act 1971.