At least 13 individuals were arrested. The following day, press attention focussed solely on the danger posed by these Nigerian gangs, emphasising their initiation rites and the violence perpetrated by members. In this regard, it must be noted that it was in fact the testimony of a young Nigerian woman that prompted the investigations into the Eiye confraternity.
Her statement against her traffickers revealed significant information about their links to the organisation. The issue of prostitution carried out behind closed doors cannot be overlooked. The statistics around indoor prostitution in Palermo itself are shocking. There has been a recent dizzying rise in this shadow economy. Until 6 months ago there were around 30 of these shuttered houses inside which girls are forced into prostitution, there are now more than 40 Connection Houses in the city.
It should also be emphasised that some of the Nigerian girls forced to sell their bodies have come from other Italian cities. They had therefore left their migrant reception facilities, whether voluntarily or under duress, and moved recently to the Sicilian capital.
As many had predicted, the number of undocumented migrants is growing. The newly restrictive immigration policies quickly made themselves felt and, based on the data provided by ISPI, 40, more foreign citizens find themselves without a residence permit after the rejection of their asylum applications.
This increases the risk of their being pushed into β or back into β becoming victims of the criminal underworld. This would also explain how little impact the edict of Oba Ewuare II had on tackling the sex trade.
