Court sentences school proprietress to 5 years in prison for child trafficking

JUSTICE Joyce Abdulmaleek of the Federal High Court Ibadan, on Tuesday, sentenced Olayinka Taiwo, proprietress of Sunshine Group of Schools Ibadan to five years in prison for trafficking a 12-year-old girl to the UK.

Delivering judgment, Abdulmaleek, held that the court who convicted Taiwo based on the overwhelming evidence against her.

“In view of the evidence tendered by the counsel to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the fact that the Taiwo has no cogent evidence to support herself, this court’s findings clearly show that she is guilty of the offence.

“Therefore, Taiwo is sentenced to five years imprisonment for each of the two charges.

“The sentences shall, however, run concurrently,” the Judge said.

In 2016, Mr S.A. Langyri, NATIP counsel had told the court that the convict along with one Jelili Oladapo now at large were facing a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and unlawful procurement of person.

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The prosecutor added that Taiwo, owner of Sunshine Group of Schools in Ibadan, connived with one of her agents to illegally transport a 12- year-old pupil of the school to the UK on the order of her guardian in Nigeria.

The prosecution said that the offences were contrary to and punishable under Section 27 A and B of Trafficking in Persons Act and had tendered all the illegal documents used by the convict and her agents in the trafficking process.

NATIP also informed the court that it was not the first time in which Taiwo and her agents would be involved in child trafficking.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Olusola’s parents are believed to be residing in the UK and that the convict had in the process of transporting the teenager abroad changed her name to Aduke Thomas.