Court Sentences Woman To Four Years In Prison For Human Trafficking

A 29-year-old-woman, Sekinat Owolabi has been sentenced to four years imprisonment for human trafficking by a Federal High Court in Osun State.

Owolabi was arraigned, tried and convicted on four counts bothering on human trafficking and organised foreign trips and promotion of prostitution.

Justice Maureen Onyetenu while giving her judgement, stated that the convict did not deserve any mercy and should serve her jail term at Federal Prison, Ilesa, without an option of fine.

The judge also claimed that the conviction and the sentence would serve as a deterrent to other would be offenders in the society.

The Defense counsel, Mr Ademola Adeyemo, had prayed the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his client.

The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, prosecution counsel, Mrs Zarowa Caroline, had told the court that the convict committed the offence sometime in December of 2012.

Caroline also told the court that Owolabi lured a 19-year-old girl on a trip to Mali under the pretence of securing her a job abroad.

She, however, said the victim was rescued by the Nigeria Immigration Service and handed over to NAPTIP office, Osogbo in January of 2013.

She said the offence Owolabi committed contravened Sections 15 (a), 16 and 19 (b) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003 (as amended in 2005).