Court jails man two years for trafficking 30 women to Libya

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has sentenced a 28-year-old man, Abubakar Suleiman, to two years in Correctional Centre without an option of fine for trafficking 30 women to Libya.

This was just as the presiding judge, Justice Sa’adatu Ibrahim-Mark, in her ruling also ordered the convict to pay an additional N250,000, adding that he will serve additional three months in the correctional centre should he fail to pay the said amount.

It will be recalled that the National Agency for the Prohibition In Persons (NAPTIP) charged Suleiman, a resident of Kadawa Miltara Quarters in Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano, with one count of trafficking in persons.

The Prosecution Counsel, Barrister Abdullahi Babale, told the court that the defendant on February 10 conspired with one Salele (a Nigerien) now at large and transferred 30 women from Edo and Lagos State to the Niger Republic through Babura border in Jigawa en route to Libya.

Barrister Babale added that the defendant deducted N5,000 each from the N50,000 paid per person by the sponsors in Libya and the Niger Republic as commission,

He also noted that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 13(2)(c) of the Trafficking in Persons(Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge.

He then tendered the defendant’s statement and one of the victim’s statement as an exhibit and urged the court to sentence the defendant according to section 356 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.

The Defence Counsel, Barr. M. B. Isa, pleaded for leniency on behalf of his client as a first time offender.

According to him, “the defendant is married and has five children. We pray the court to temper justice with mercy according to section 416 (2) of ACJA 2015.”

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