National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has secured the conviction of one Lawrence Ogbonna for aiding the trafficking of a teenager in Benue state.
The Benue Zonal Commander of NAPTIP,
Mr. Aganran Alao-Ganiyu, disclosed this while speaking to newsmen in his office at the state command headquarters in Makurdi.
He said Ogbonna was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment with a fine of N1m for assisting to traffic one Deborah Ajon, an 18 year old to Libya.
Mr. Aganran, explained that the conviction was secured at a Federal High Court, sitting in Makurdi, after the defendant, aged 66 years was convicted on a three count charge.
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Justice Hassan Dikko, of the Federal High Court, who delivered the judgement on the May 5, 2020 found the defendant guilty on a three -count charge of organizing foreign travels for prostitution and assisting to traffic the victim contrary to section 18 and 13(4)(c) of trafficking in Perons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act of 2015.
Mr. Aganran, who expressed worries over the number of young girls and boys trafficked out of the state and in the zone, for prostitution and forced labour, said the command will continue to do everything within its powers to bring the perpetrators to book.
He appealed to parents to desist from giving out their children to traffickers who disguise in the name of offering jobs and other forms of assistance, saying often times the children end up as sex slaves or in other forms of dehumanizing labour within and outside the country.
He thanked the Director General of the Agency, Julie Okah Donli, for her support and passion to end trafficking in the state as well as Governor Samuel Ortom and the Tot Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, for their concern and assistance to the agency towards ending trafficking in the state.
