The Federal High Court in Calabar, Cross River State on Thursday sentenced a couple to 15 years imprisonment each for baby trafficking.
The Cross River State Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) charged Esther and Eyo Udo with four counts of buying and selling babies for exploitation.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu found them guilty on all counts after reviewing the evidence presented before the court.
Ojukwu sentenced Esther, the first defendant, to 15 years imprisonment with a fine of N2 million.
According to the judge, the sentence takes effect from the date of judgment.
The judge also directed authorities to arrest the buyer for prosecution, noting her alleged involvement in multiple trafficking cases.
The prosecution said that Esther sold her newborn baby for N300,000 to the suspect, Oluchi Judith, who is currently at large.
Also Read:
- I feel sorry for fans, Joao Pedro reacts to Chelsea loss
- Xenophobic Attacks: National Assembly to visit South Africa parliament
- Decline of human-interest journalism in Nigeria, by Dele Momodu
- Ganduje recognises Sanusi as Emir of Kano
- Defections: I think ADC is dead – Senator Akpabio
NAPTIP also told the court that the convicts also bought a one-year-old boy for N150,000 and sold him to the same buyer for N400,000.
They were charged under Sections 13(4)(a)(c)(e), 21 and 27 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
However they both pleaded not guilty to the charge filed on March 19, 2025, prompting a full trial.
