NAPTIP secure conviction of 271 human traffickers

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(Nigeria) The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, on Tuesday said it had secured the conviction of 271 persons in its fight against human trafficking.
The convictions were secured since the inception of the agency on Aug. 26, 2003.
Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba, the Director-General of the agency, disclosed this in a statement issued by NAPTIP’s spokesperson, Mr Josiah Emerole, in Abuja.
Jedy-Agba said that the agency made 13 additional convictions between January and June, bringing the total conviction by the agency so far to 271.
She noted that the conviction was based on its determination to rein-in human trafficking in the country.
The director-general said that the convicts, arrested by operatives of the agencies in various locations in the country, were at the moment serving various jail terms.
She explained that eight of the recent 13 cases were convicted by the Federal High Courts in Sokoto and Uyo for human traffickers and sentenced to various jail terms.
``Similarly, the other six were convicted and sentenced by Federal High Courts in Benin, Abeokuta and Jos.
``The Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta in suit No. FHC/AB/78C/13 convicted one Jennifer Ifeoma Umeh and two others who were charged under sections 12(a), 13(a), 15 and 19(a) of the Trafficking in Persons Act 2003 as amended. They were convicted for deceitful inducing three girls for sexual exploitation,'' she said.
Jedy-Agba said that while two of the accused were sentenced to seven years imprisonment, the third accused got five years imprisonment without an option of fine.
``Similarly, a Federal High Court sitting in Jos, sentenced one other human trafficker to 10 years imprisonment without an option of fine.
``The convict, Apisu Abdullahi, was charged under Section 19(b) of Trafficking in Persons Act 2003 as amended for deceitful inducement for the purpose of forced labour. The Federal High Court sitting in Benin, the Edo State capital, sentenced one Grace Friday Okon to two years imprisonment for sexual exploitation,'' she said.
Jedy-Agba further explained that a Federal high Court sitting in Sokoto state, convicted a three-member trafficking gang believed to be notorious in trafficking within the Northern part of the country.
The convicts, Samuel Osarhiemen, 35 years, and Efe Bello, 41, were sentenced to six years imprisonment, respectively, while the third person, a female, Oninomu Favour, 23, was sentenced to four years imprisonment.
``Also in Sokoto, one Uche Sunday who was charged for deceitful inducement for forced labour and sexual exploitation was found guilty and sentenced to six years imprisonment without an option of fine,’’ she said.
Jedy-Agba said that two females, Uduak Babatunde and Imaobong Etim, both 18 years, alongside Asuquo Jimmy, 25, and Otobong Akpan, 31, were convicted at Uyo for procuring girls for prostitution and recruitment of children for forced labour, among others.
``The offences were contrary to the provisions of sections 15, 22 and 19 of the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Act. Babatunde who pleaded guilty was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and admonished to learn the skill of hair dressing. Jimmy was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment on each of the four counts to run concurrently or a fine of N50,000,’’ she said.
Jedy-Agba, however, solicited the cooperation of all Nigerians in the fight against human trafficking.

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