Child Trafficking: Chukwuemeka Iheamama sentenced to 12 years for exploiting minors

A 27-year-old man, Chukwuemeka Iheamama, has been sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment for trafficking two minors for exploitation.

The victims, Bright Edim and Mary Ekong, both aged 15, were being transported by Iheamama towards Badagry for onward movement to Ghana for prostitution, according to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

Iheamama was tried at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, on a three-count charge of child trafficking. He was sentenced as follows: two years’ imprisonment and ₦250,000 fine for count one; five years’ imprisonment and ₦500,000 fine for count two; and five years’ imprisonment for count three, with the sentences to run concurrently.

The NAPTIP Ogun State Commander, Bose Jimoh, said Iheamama was arrested on 12 April 2025 by officers of the Nigeria Police Force in Agbara, Ogun State. The case was subsequently transferred to NAPTIP for investigation and prosecution.

He was arraigned before Hon. Justice A. A. Okeke of the Federal High Court on 18 June 2025, with the trial commencing on 15 October 2025. Judgment was delivered on 20 May 2026, with Iheamama found guilty on all counts.

The convict was charged under Sections 13, 15(b), and 26(1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.