Nigerian Doctor And Nurse Wife Guilty Of Keeping Man As Slave For 24 Years

A doctor and his nurse wife have been found guilty of keeping a man as a slave for 24 years at their home.

Ofonime Sunday Inuk, now 40, told Harrow Crown Court he arrived in the UK from Nigeria in 1989 when he was 14 and made to look after the couple’s home and children.

Emmanuel and Antan Edet, from Perivale, north west London, were found guilty of three slavery and cruelty charges.

The couple, who had denied the charges, are due to be sentenced on 18 November.

During the case, Mr Inuk told the court he had been promised an English education, but was instead made to work, with the warning that if he left the house or went to the police he would be arrested for being an illegal immigrant.

The court heard he had made attempts to escape and spoke to the police in 2005, but was left “a bit dejected” after being told by an officer it was a “family matter”.

Ten years later he contacted the Metropolitan Police again when he saw media reports about modern slavery and realised the life he was being made to lead was wrong.

He also emailed the charity Hope for Justice, which in turn contacted Scotland Yard to co-ordinate his release.

Prosecutor Damaris Lakin told the court: “Emanuel and Antan Edet have cruelly robbed this victim of 24 years of his life. They have treated him with complete contempt.

“Not only did the defendants have total psychological control over the victim, but they also had control of his passport and identity documents.