Calgary court house. (file photo/rdnewsnow)

By Susan McNeil

Human trafficking

Calgary gang leader gets 6.5 years for trafficking woman from N. Battleford

Apr 2, 2024 | 5:00 PM

An unnamed woman from North Battleford is one of several people victimized by a human trafficker in Calgary.

The woman, who was identified as SS in court documents, was homeless and addicted to drugs when she was recruited by Lawrence Orubor to at first sell drugs before she was forced to sell herself in Calgary in 2020.

Lawrence Orubor, age 55, had a 500-person criminal network that ran in five locations and controlled the drug trade around the Calgary Drop-In Centre.

Even when he was in remand before being found guilty, he continued to operate the network, according to documents from Calgary courts.

SS told Court of King’s Bench that, once part of “the Family”, as the gang was called, she was often robbed of any money she earned selling drugs and would be beaten by other family members.

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Orubor also punched her for losing money. When SS went home to North Battleford in fall of the 2020 for a visit and returned to Calgary, she was switched from selling drugs to prostitution.

“Mr. Orubor took her money, kept her vulnerable and disenfranchised. He assaulted her when she lost money,” wrote Associate Chief Justice D.B. Nixon in the sentencing decision.

When it wasn’t Orubor himself threatening and controlling the sex workers, it was Shakir Jamal under his command.

SS was one of four women forced into prostitution by the Family. Others were also forced to hand over their money and were beaten and threatened with death if they didn’t earn enough money.

In sentencing, Nixon noted that Orubor used significant amounts of coercion and control, deciding where SS would live, what men she saw, how much money she could have, her access to drugs, where the drugs came from and how much she could use.

“Mr. Orubor made SS believe that he owned her as a member of the Family and had control over her. SS was threatened and degraded if she was not making money for Mr. Orubor,” wrote Nixon.

Orubor’s six and a half year sentence will start once a second sentence for 10 years for drug trafficking is completed. With remand credit of 600 days (about one and a half years), Orubor will be jailed for around 14 years before being released.

He was sentenced in mid-March of this year.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com