Nigerian woman, one of Italy’s ‘most wanted mafia boss’, extradited

A Nigerian woman identified as Joy Jeff has been sentenced to 13 years jail term for operating a prostitution ring in Italy

Joy, 48, had been declared wanted since 2010 but extradited to Rome on Wednesday, according to Italian Police.

According to Reuters, Joy Jeff, 48, was one of the few women on Italy’s most-wanted list, according to police, who described her as a prominent figure in the Nigerian mafia.

A treaty signed by Nigeria and Italy in 2020 facilitated the extradition. According to the statement, she was arrested in Nigeria on June 4, 2022, on an international warrant issued by Italy.

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Investigators in Ancona, Italy’s easternmost city, said Jeff was a key figure in trafficking women to Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, where they were forced into prostitution through violence and threats. In her absence, she was convicted.

The woman was flown from Nigeria’s capital, Abuja to Ciampino airport in Rome, where she was taken away in a wheelchair by police, according to a video released by the Italian police.

“Africa today is a strategic location when looking for fugitives and fighting organised crime,” said Vittorio Rizzi, an Italian police chief responsible for international coordination.