The Benin Division of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria has sentenced a human trafficker, Fatima Joy Odiri Joseph, to three years imprisonment with hard labour for trafficking young girls for prostitution.
Fatima was arraigned by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for trafficking two 14-year-old girls to Burkina Faso for prostitution.
NAPTIP’s counsel, Tonia Mgbemeje, told the court that the defendant recruited the girls in Benin City and trafficked them to her brother in Burkina Faso for prostitution.
The defendant pleaded guilty and begged the court to temper justice with mercy.
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Justice A. A. Adewemimo sentenced the convict to three years imprisonment with hard labour.
Similarly, two women, Osunabi Fatimoh and Olayinka Eniola, were on Wednesday sentenced to 24 months imprisonment each by a Lagos Federal High Court trafficking human beings.
Justice Hadizat Rabiu-Shagari gave the judgement after charges of conspiracy and trafficking in persons were made against them by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
Justice Hadizat held that the prosecution had successfully proved the charges against them beyond every reasonable doubt.
The judge also held that the two convicted women were unable to contradict all prosecution’s evidence. Adding that they also admitted committing the offences in their confessional statements.
From Usman A. Bello (Benin) & Adelanwa Bamgboye, Lagos
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