Human Trafficker Gets 30 Years In Jail

A lady who has been trafficking young girls for the purpose of prostitution has been jailed for 30 years. A lady, Nneka Ebelechukwu, who took delight in recruiting and organizing foreign trips for young girls and subsequently subjecting them to prostitution » and pocketing the proceed, will spend the next 30 years in prison for her crimes. The lengthy sentence was secured by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters » , (NAPTIP), at a Federal High Court in Abuja. The 30-year-old Nneka who hails from Idemili Local government Area of Anambra State, was found guilty of the the offence which is punishable under section 16 of the Trafficking » in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003, as Amended. The accused was charged on a three-count of organizing foreign travels which promotes prostitution and the case was arraigned in court on June 9, 2013. According to the trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, the prison term of 30 years is to run concurrently without any option of fine. Delivering the judgment, Justice Ademola condemned the act in strict terms and also called on parents to desist from handing their children to human traffickers for greener pastures and actually consider offers to assist, with a pinch of salt. The Executive Secretary, NAPTIP, Beatrice Jedy- Agba who in her reaction said she was satisfied with the conviction as the punishment was commensurate with the offence, stressed that the Agency will continuously advocate for stiffer penalties for offenders of human trafficking as this will deter intending human traffickers from embarking on such crimes.