Court Jails Trafficker For Molesting 16-year-old, Selling Her Baby

A Federal High Court in Calabar, Cross River State, has sentenced a human trafficker, Ifeanyi Okorogu, to two years’ imprisonment for molesting a 16-year-old girl and attempting to sell her baby for N150,000.

It was learnt that Okorogu was jailed on Friday without an option of fine in a judgment by Justice Inyang Ekwo, after the accused was found guilty.

It was gathered that Okorogu, an indigene of Imo Sate, was arraigned by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons on two counts under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.

According to a statement on Sunday by the NAPTIP’s spokesman, Josiah Emerole, the accused was arrested on December 1, 2017, at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, Cross River State, while trying to sell the teenager’s baby.

Emerole said Okorogu was thereafter charged under sections 13 and 29 of the Act.

He said, “The man was arraigned by NAPTIP on two counts. He and an accomplice were arrested at the Margret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, by men of the Nigeria Immigration Service. He was thereafter transferred to the NAPTIP Uyo Zonal Command for further investigations and prosecution.

“We charged him under sections 13 and 29 of the Trafficking Prohibition Act. He harboured a 16-year-old girl and exploited her. He further attempted to sell the victim’s baby at the sum of N150,000 before he was arrested at the airport.

“The Director-General of NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli, has warned traffickers to desist from criminal activities and find other means of livelihood. We will not spare anyone caught in this inhuman and wicked act.”