NAPTIP secures 284 convictions over forced labour

THE National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP) has secured the convictions of 284 persons in various prisons across the country for cases of forced labour and human trafficking offences.

The Director General of NAPTIP, Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, who stated this in Abuja recently while reacting to the conviction of three persons for human trafficking offences by a Federal High court sitting in Kano, said the Agency will continue to be on the trail of human traffickers with a view to ending the menace.

She added: “These latest convictions bring the total number of convictions on human trafficking cases to 284. The Agency will continue to stop traffickers from destroying the vulnerable persons.”

The NAPTIP boss highlighted that the convictions of 284 by the Agency since inception has not deterred traffickers from engaging in the illicit trade.
“It is unfortunate that despite NAPTIP’s achievement in areas of enlightenment, partnership, prevention and even prosecution of offenders with 284 convictions since inception, some of our beloved brothers and sisters are still daring the dreaded Mediterranean Sea, leaving the known for the unknown and in the process many have died while few others who had a close shave with such horror, remain incapacitated,” she stated.

The NAPTIP boss commended Justice Riman for a job well done.
In its judgment on Wednesday December 2, 2015 in a case involving the trafficking of 24 girls between the ages of eight and 13years from Wudil Local Government Area of Kano State to Lagos State for domestic work, Honourable Justice Fatu Riman sentenced Zulai Garba and Aisha Abdullahi Abubakar to one year imprisonment each.

The accused persons who were charged under section 23 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015 had on arraignment on Wednesday pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them.

The Honourable Justice Riman had a week earlier sentenced Mr Emmanuel Eromosele to two years imprisonment. Eromosele was charged under Section 18 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015 for organising foreign travel, which promotes prostitution.

The accused person was arrested in Kano by NAPTIP operatives while attempting to traffic two females aged 17 and 20 from Delta to Libya through Kano to work as prostitutes.

On arraignment on December 2, 2015 Eromosele pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against him and was subsequently convicted and sentenced.