A High Court sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State, has sentenced a human trafficker, Salamatu Saidu, to five years’ imprisonment for the fraudulent trafficking of two persons.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons disclosed this in a case update shared on its Facebook page on Thursday.
NAPTIP stated that Saidu was convicted and sentenced by Justice Bukar Umar on Monday, the same day she was arraigned.
According to the agency, the offences committed by the convict contravened Section 26(2) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
The statement read, “A High Court of Justice sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State, presided over by Hon. Justice Bukar M. Umar, has convicted Salamatu Saidu (33, female) for fraudulent entry of persons aged 21 and 33 years.
“The offence is contrary to Section 26(2) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
“Under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, fraudulent entry of persons refers to the act of knowingly organising, facilitating, or assisting the illegal movement of a person into or out of Nigeria through deception, false representation, or unlawful means.”
An infographic accompanying the update indicated that the defendant was arraigned and sentenced on the same day.
It also stated that she was sentenced to five years in jail for the offence.
The agency noted that the conviction reflects its continued efforts to combat human trafficking and related crimes across the country.
This is not the first time NAPTIP has secured convictions in such cases.
PUNCH Metro had reported in July 2018 that the agency secured the conviction of no fewer than 41 persons for various forms of human trafficking across the country within one year.
The agency also disclosed at the time that 359 persons had been convicted for different human trafficking offences within its first 15 years of operation.
