Nigerian ‘most wanted’ prostitution ringleader Madam Joy extradited to Italy

A 48-year-old Nigerian woman, Jeff Joy, who had been on Italy’s list of the 100 most wanted fugitives since 2010, has been extradited to Italy.

Joy had a leading role in the illegal transporting of Nigerian girls to Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain so they could be initiated into prostitution.

Reports claim that she used threats and acts of violence to control her victims.

Joy had been wanted since 2010 on suspicion of criminal conspiracy, enslavement, human trafficking, prostitution exploitation, and other crimes. The Italian authorities have imposed a 13-year prison term on her in her absence.

The successful extradition was made possible due to the excellent collaboration between both countries, with the Italian Immigration Expert providing support to the local police forces.

The extradition marks a unique event in relation to Italy and Nigeria as it was the first case since the extradition treaty came into power in 2020.

The process started immediately following her arrest on June 4, 2022, in Nigeria by local intelligence departments. Subsequently, on February 10, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, informed Italy’s ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Stefano De Leo, that Joy would be handed over.

This event serves as critical evidence for how Africa is becoming an influential area for searching for fugitives and fighting against organized crime.

It also proves that Italy is determined to take control at an international level by creating penal and administrative processes to track down Mafia assets for confiscation.

The police force’s central director Vittorio Rizzi also expressed his enthusiasm for this development.

“Today, Africa is confirmed as a strategic area for the search for fugitives and the fight against organized crime. Developing African countries also represent elective places for the laundering of the illicit capital of organized crime and Italy is committed at an international level to facilitate, through penal and administrative instruments, the tracing of the illicit assets of the mafias for their seizure and confiscation,” Italian news media, agenzianova, quoted the European country’s Deputy Director General of the Department of Public Security and Central Director of Criminal Police, Vittorio Rizzi, as saying.