A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced a housewife, Gift Nonye Ukatu, to 13 years imprisonment for human trafficking offences.
The sentence was handed down by the presiding Judge, Hon. Justice Kudy Jose.
Ukatu was arrested by operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons in 2015 in Lagos following a tipoff from concerned Nigerians who knew her activities.
In the case with Charge Number 1D/2227C/2015, Ukatu, who earlier jumped bail and was re-arrested, was slammed with a six-count charge of harbouring two girls that are under 12 years old and using them for forced labour, domestic workers and treating them as slaves contrary to Sections 22 (a), 23 (1) (a) and 25 (a) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
The Charge is dated December 21, 2015.
When the Defendant was arraigned in early 2016, she pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
Trial, however, commenced on July 4, 2016 and the case went through full trial.
Delivering judgment late last week, Justice Jose convicted Ukatu on all the charges and sentenced her to 13 years imprisonment.
On counts 1 and 2, she was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment; Counts 3 and 4 (one year imprisonment, and Counts 5 and 6 (seven years imprisonment).
The sentences are to run concurrently.
