A Federal High Court sitting
in Makurdi, the Benue State capital today in two separate judgments given delivered
by Honourable Justice Hassan Dikko sentenced three persons to 2 years
imprisonment each for human trafficking.
The human traffickers are: Friday Okache
(23yrs) from Benue State, Anucha Blessing (28yrs) from Abia State and Agatu
Blessing (25yrs) from Benue State.
They were however, given options
of fine. While Friday Okache and Anucha Blessing were given the option of
paying N350, 000 each, Agatu Blessing was given an option of N250, 000 only.
The convicts were arraigned
in Court by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons
(NAPTIP) in two separate suits after they were arrested for the trafficking of
4 girls. They were charged under Section 13 (2) of the Trafficking in Persons
(Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015 which prohibits all acts
of trafficking in persons.
In
the case of Friday Okache and Anucha Blessing, they were arraigned in court for
the recruitment of 2 16 year old girls for sexual exploitation contrary to
Section 13 (2) (b) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and
Administration, Act, 2015
On the 17th June,
2017, Friday Okache was arrested by NAPTIP Operatives based on intelligence
reports on the trafficking of the two girls to Davies Hotel, Lugbe, Abuja, for
the purpose of inducing them to engage in prostitution. Upon arrest, he
confessed to the crime and stated that he recruited the girls at the behest of
Anucha Blessing. On her arrest, Aucha Blessing admitted to have committed the
offence. They Accused persons were however, arraigned on the 29th
June, 2017 on a case with charge number FHC/MKD/CR/68/17 and they pleaded guilty to the charge.
On the case of Aguta
Blessing (25years old) from Benue State, she was also charged for the
recruitment of 2 17 year old girls for sexual exploitation contrary to Section
13 (2) (b) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and
Administration, Act, 2015
The
Accused was on June 22nd 2017 arrested by operatives on NAPTIP in a
sting operation. She was arrested while in company of the victims on board a
bus heading to Okene, Kogi State. Upon arrest, she claimed to have recruited
the girls to work on her farm in Auchi, Edo State. However, she could not tell
investigators where her farm was located. Upon further interrogations, she
confessed to have recruited the girls to work as prostitutes in King’s Garden
Hotel, Auchi, Edo State, where she also works as a prostitute.
When she was arraigned on
the 29th June, 2017 in a Suit with charge number FHC/MKD/CR/69/17, she
pleaded guilty to the charge.
Delivering judgment in the
two cases today, Hon. Justice Hassan Dikko in separate judgments convicted and
sentenced the Accused persons.
In her reaction, the
Director-General of NAPTIP expressed satisfaction with the development. She
commended the presiding Judge for the accelerated hearing given to the case.
She however, urged all judicial officers across the country especially High
Court Judges to always give accelerated hearing to human trafficking cases.
No comments:
Post a Comment