U.S. Court Jails Nigerian Woman for Coercing Domestic Workers Through Abuse

A Nigerian woman based in New Jersey, Bolaji Bolarinwa, has been sentenced to 45 months in prison by a U.S. federal court for forced labor and related crimes involving two women she coerced into working in her home under abusive conditions. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the sentencing on Friday, May 9, 2025.

Bolarinwa, 51, of Moorestown, was convicted of two counts of forced labor, one count of alien harboring for financial gain, and two counts of document servitude after a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden, New Jersey. The sentencing also includes three years of supervised release, a $35,000 fine, and restitution of $87,518.72 to her victims.

According to trial evidence and court filings, Bolarinwa, originally from Nigeria but now a U.S. citizen, recruited two women from Nigeria to perform domestic labor and childcare in her home between December 2015 and October 2016. She used physical abuse, threats, isolation, constant surveillance, and psychological manipulation to control them. One of the victims had no legal immigration status, which Bolarinwa exploited to increase her vulnerability.

After the first victim arrived in December 2015, Bolarinwa confiscated her passport and subjected her to nearly a year of around-the-clock labor through threats and verbal abuse. In April 2016, she brought a second victim to the U.S. on a student visa and similarly seized her passport, this time relying more heavily on physical violence. The abuse continued until October 2016, when the second victim confided in a college professor, who then alerted the FBI.

Federal officials condemned Bolarinwa’s actions as a severe violation of human rights. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon stated that the case sends a strong message that forced labor will not be tolerated, and emphasized the Justice Department’s commitment to holding human traffickers accountable. U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey called the crimes “atrocious” and praised the bravery of the victims.

FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly highlighted the cruelty of the case, describing how Bolarinwa lured the women with false promises, held them captive, and subjected them to abuse. He urged the public to report suspicious situations that may involve hidden victims of trafficking.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Newark Field Office and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. It was part of the efforts of the Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2025, which brings together federal and state agencies to combat human trafficking and prosecute offenders.