A federal grand jury has formally accused an Arlington couple of keeping a widowed, Nigerian mother of six in domestic servitude, or in essence holding her as their slave.  According to the Justice Department, husband and wife, Emmanuel and Ngozi Nnaji, held the woman for nine years.

Officials believe the Nnajis promised the woman that she would be paid, and there would be support for her children, if she came to work for them as a domestic servant.

The abuse allegedly happened while the couple lived at a house in the 1500 block of Green Hill Drive, in Arlington.  CBS 11 News went there and tried to speak to a woman who came out of the house, but she had nothing to say.  We're told the victim no longer lives at the house.

Part of the seven-count indictment alleges that the couple used unscrupulous means to get fraudulent immigration documents, confiscated the victim's official documents, secretly kept her in their home and forced her to work long hours with no days off for little or no pay.

Emmanuel Nnaji is also accused of sexually assaulting the victim and threatening the woman if she called police. Ngozi Nnaji is a Nigerian national.

Officials claim the couple kept the woman isolated from the outside world and refused her requests to be returned home or be paid for her services.

Along with not paying the victim, the couple also allegedly failed to provide support for the victim's children back in Nigeria. Contact with her Nigerian family was also monitored and she was prevented from attending church regularly.

The couple, who have been charged with conspiracy, forced labor, document servitude, alien harboring and false statements, was arrested on September 30.

Both Ngozi and Emmanuel Nnaji face up to 55 years in prison, if convicted. Since Ngozi Nnaji is not a U.S. citizen, if she is convicted she also faces deportation.

CBS 11 spoke to Ngozi Nnaji's who said his client will plead not guilty and that they plan to challenge the charges.

The case is being investigated by the FBI.

Click here to read the entire U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas criminal complaint against Emmanuel and Ngozi Nnaji.


http://cbs11tv.com/local/slave.domestic.servitude.2.1362338.html

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People are wicked, what is this world turning to?

I hope they are severely sanctioned for their gross misdemeanour so as to serve as a deterrent to others.
oyibo na oyibo till tomorrow, if 2 say na naija now, nobody go send d woman. . . .

na wa oh

wonders shall neva end

what a wicked world!how can people be so inhumane n callous.a widow, n has six kids in nigeria.where do they expect her to get money for their welfare?who knows the fate of the kids now,whether they have turned to nuisance to the society as a result of hardship.this case is one of a thousand others which nigerians go through in foreign lands,unknowingly to their families who wish to be them n bombard them with calls everyday for money(my case at the moment).thanks to our corrupt n insensitive leaders who do nothing to alleviate the sufferings of nigerians.
the couple should face the music.the God of heavens whom the woman has been crying to will never allow them go free.

People trafficking is an offence all over the world, including Nigeria.

It baffles me how our own fellow Nigerians can traffic our own people to abroad for selfish gain. Nigerians making slavery of other Nigerians - worse than colonial slavery.

I saw some Nigerian girls in Italy, Malta, Netherlands and the UK in this predicament. They were transported from Nigeria with fake documents and falsehoods to their various countries abroad. The girls are mostly used as prostitutes to fetch money for their Madam or Oga. It is appalling and degrading.

Any Nigerian at home or abroad who uses other Nigerians as slaves in the form of prostitutes, slave labour, low pay house helps and low pay gateman must be ashamed of themselves. These people should cover their head in shame.

If any such Slave Masters or Slave Mistress is reading this note, you must change from your wickedness. Otherwise, your days are numbered.

spikedcylinder:

They just exported the house maid tradition to the US is all. Happens in Nigeria like its a norm.

Spot on, Couldn't have said any more precisely

spikedcylinder:

They just exported the house maid tradition to the US is all. Happens in Nigeria like its a norm.

And now they have to face the consequences of holding on to that tradition. It is that simple

FL Gators:

Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. . . . . . No coment,, none at all.

Inhumanity of man to a fellow.

wonders shall never end

They try well,well and God is about to punish them for the rest of their lives.

Na wa ohhhhhhhh!
Wonders indeed shall never end.

People can be very wicked. These sort of things are so rampart in Nigeria,

Sure very rampant in nigeria, there is one currently happening around where i stay, a young girl of about 17 years, this woman brought her to lagos and promised to pay her slary, she stoped her from going to school, refused to pay her the agreed salary, make her work almost round the clock, as she is into mama put kind of business, the girl tried running away when the suffering became too much, but luck ran out on her after three days and they caught up with her and brought her back to continue in her suffering, though they promised to let her go this xmas , this young girl kept coming to me at every slightest opportunity she have complaining about her ordeal, i dont know what she expect me to do. am afraid to intrude in issues that concern me not, I hope they let her go this xmas as they have promised her

Sweet T:


The abuse allegedly happened while the couple lived at a house in the 1500 block of Green Hill Drive, in Arlington.  CBS 11 News went there and tried to speak to a woman who came out of the house, but she had nothing to say.  We're told the victim no longer lives at the house.

. . .

Emmanuel Nnaji is also accused of sexually assaulting the victim and threatening the woman. . .

Must this always happen? Na wa o! Anyway thats what gives credibility to the story in my own book.

Slave Labour is a Crime against Humanity. Wicked couple.

chaircover:

Just shows how our people can be so wicked, lack conscience and are prepared to exploit anyone who comes their way.

Why would any parent who already knows the importance of the mother/child bond choose a widow with 6 children to come and work for them as a slave causing her not to be able to look after her own 6 children and on top of that treat her badly?

I'm not saying don't employ households if you are too lazy to clean up your own house and you therefore need one, however choose one who you can send to school and make a positive difference in his or her life.

And I'm not even going to comment on the brute of the husband who sexually abused his domestic servant; A mother of 6!

It is shocking the extent people will go to avoid simple housework.

Haba, this is too bad

who introduce slave trade

Sick World we live in.

People here should seek to know the truth before making emotional comments.
You can reach conclusion on the basis of a newspaper article.
People have been falsely accused of slavery in the past for no jjust reason.

Please tell me this is not real?
Someone tell me this is a joke.

God help us all.

This is terrible indeed. I wonder the kind of conscience(if any) that some people have.
Imagine a widow? Thats the extreme.