Two jailed for using girl for sexual exploitation

Two men have been jailed for procuring 15-year-old girl for sexual exploitation.

A Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto, Sokoto State of Nigeria, presided over by Hon. Justice Idrissa Kogu, sentenced two men, Lawali Alhaji Gado 25, and Umar Abdullahi 21, to jail for human trafficking offences.

The suspects, who hail from Sokoto State, were charged to court on December 8, 2016, by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for procuring a 15-year-old girl for sexual exploitation.

Press and Public Relations Unit, Nneka Aniagoh said: “This contravenes Section 16 (1) of the Trafficking In Persons (prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act (TIPPEA) 2015)  which states that: any person  who procures or recruits any person  under the age of 18 years to be subjected to prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation with himself, any person or persons, either in Nigeria or anywhere  else, commits an offence and is  liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than  7 years and a fine of not  less than N 1,000,000.00.”

Aniagoh said that in the course of the trial which commenced on February 8, 2017, the prosecution called two witnesses and tendered evidence, while the defendant also called two witnesses.

“At the end of the trial, the suspects pled guilty to the charge and were sentenced to five years imprisonment each with effect from 24^th September, 2018, and an additional fine of two hundred and fifty thousand naira each,” said Aniagoh.

Reacting to the news of the conviction, the Director-General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli commended the officers for their efforts.

She also reiterated the resolve of the Agency to stamp out human trafficking from Nigeria, and warned detractors to cease from such acts as NAPTIP’s eyes are everywhere and will fish them out and make them pay for their crimes.

She used the opportunity to call for more speedy trials of cases of human trafficking, so as to ensure justice is served promptly, and victims can move on with their lives after successful rehabilitation and reintegration by the Agency.  She further called on victims of human trafficking to report to NAPTIP and bear witness against their traffickers. She assured them of the Agency’s protection and dedication to their case in order to ensure that their traffickers are put behind bars. This conviction brings the total number of convictions secured by NAPTIP since inception to 360.