Woman jailed 13 years for using underage girls as slaves

A house wife, Gift Nonye Ukatu, has been sentenced to 13 years imprisonment for harbouring two girls that are under 12 years old and using them for forced labour, domestic workers and treating them as slaves.

Ukatu was convicted by a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja. The sentence was handed down by presiding Judge, Hon. Justice Kudy Jose.

Head, Press and Public Relations (NAPTIP), Vincent Adekoye said: “Ukatu was arrested by operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in 2015 in Lagos after a tip-off from concerned Nigerians who knew her activities.”

In the case with charge number 1D/2227C/2015, Ukatu who earlier jumped bail and was re-arrested was slammed with a six-count charge of harbouring two girls that are under 12 years old and using them for forced labour, domestic workers and treating them as slaves contrary to Sections 22 (a), 23 (1) (a) and 25 (a) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015. The Charge is dated December 21, 2015.

“When the Defendant was arraigned in early 2016, she pleaded not guilty to all the counts. Trial however, commenced on July 4, 2016 and the case went through full trial,” said Adekoye.

Delivering judgment late last week, Hon. Justice Jose convicted Ukatu on all the charges and sentenced her to 13 years imprisonment.

On counts one and two, she was sentenced to five years imprisonment; Counts three and five (One year imprisonment, and Counts five and six (seven years imprisonment). The sentences are to run concurrently.

Reacting to this Judgement, Director-General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli said that the judgement signals the beginning of hard times for human traffickers in 2018 in Nigeria.

She however, commended the Judiciary for its partnership with NAPTIP in the dispensation of justice especially with regard to human trafficking issues. She called for more accelerated handling of human trafficking cases by Courts to ensure that victims of human trafficking get justice against their traffickers and their accomplices.