The most wanted Nigerian woman identified as Jeff Joy has been extradited to Italy following her criminal acts.
Joy had been one of the few women on Italy’s 100 most wanted criminal list (100 most dangerous fugitives) since 2010.
Her leading role was the illegal transporting of Nigerian girls to Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain for prostitution.
Reports held Joy had employed the use of violence and threats to keep her victims in line.
She had been sought after since 2010 for charges of criminal conspiracy, enslavement, trafficking in people, exploitation of prostitution, and other offenses.
She had been sentenced to 13 years in prison in absentia by the Italian authorities.
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 for Italy and Nigeria as it was the first case since the extradition treaty came into effect 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.
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The event served as critical evidence for how Africa is becoming an influential area for searching for fugitives and fighting against organized crime.
It also proved 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.
The European country’s Deputy Director General of the Department of Public Security and Central Director of Criminal Police, Vittorio Rizzi, said:
“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.”
