25th October, 2023
By Jethro Ibileke
Justice Geraldine Imadegbelo of Edo State High Court, in Benin, the state capital, on Wednesday committed a 25-year-old man, Alfred Osadolor, to seven years imprisonment for trafficking a 10-year-old girl.
Osadolor was arraigned on 22 August 2021, on a one-count charge of procurement for sexual exploitation.
The offence is contrary to Section 26 (1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
The trial Judge also imposed a ₦1 million fine on the convict.
The Benin Zonal Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mr. Nduka Nwawenne, hailed the conviction.
He noted that the case which was diligently prosecuted by the anti-human trafficking agency is aimed at sending a clear red signal to human traffickers.
Nwawenne who reiterated the determination of NAPTIP to checkmate the illicit activities of human traffickers who traffic little girls for prostitution in the zone, added that the identity of the victim was kept secret because she’s a minor.
He echoed the unwavering commitment of the Director-General of NAPTIP, Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, to stamp out the scourge of the procurement of minors and young girls for the purpose of sexual exploitation.