A Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa has sentenced a 29-year-old woman, Mariam Omokiri, from Delta State, to seven years imprisonment for human trafficking.
Justice Doris Adokeme delivered the judgment on Wednesday after finding the accused guilty on all counts brought against her by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
Omokiri was convicted for trafficking, exporting, and promoting the prostitution of young girls.
The court also imposed a N1m fine as additional punishment.
According to the charge sheet, the convict had in January this year organised and trafficked four girls from Bayelsa State to Mali and Senegal for prostitution. The offences were said to violate Sections 13(1)(2)(b), 13(4)(a)(c), 14(b), and 18 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
In her judgment, Justice Adokeme stated that the prosecution had “successfully proved its case against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt,” noting that trafficking in persons “remains a serious crime that damages the nation’s image globally.”
Reacting to the verdict, the Acting Commander of NAPTIP Bayelsa Command, Fadewara Timiebiowei, represented by Charles Emomotimi, commended the court for the ruling. He said the conviction would serve as a deterrent to others involved in similar crimes.
“This judgment sends a strong message that Bayelsa is not a safe haven for human traffickers,” he said, urging parents and guardians to report any suspicious movement or recruitment of young girls to NAPTIP or other law enforcement agencies.
Earlier this week, the Rivers State Police Command uncovered a child trafficking syndicate that targeted young mothers and pregnant women, selling their babies to buyers.
Authorities say the syndicate was led by an ex-convict, Blessing Jack, who had previously been jailed in Calabar for a similar offence.
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