28-year-old man, Abubakar Suleiman, has been sentenced to two years imprisonment for trafficking 30 women to Libya.
According to NAN reports, the prosecution counsel, Mr Abdullahi Babale told the court that the convict on Feb.10, conspired with one Salele (a Nigerien) now at large, and transferred 30 women from Edo and Lagos State to Niger Republic through Babura border in Jigawa, enroute Libya.
Babale said that the convict deducted N5,000 from each of the women from the N50,000 paid per person from the sponsors in Libya and Niger Republic as commission.
He added that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 13(2)(c) of the Trafficking in Persons(Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015.
The prosecutor proceeded by tendering the defendant’s and one of the victims statements as exhibit and urged the court to sentence the defendant according to section 356 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
Suleiman, who resides in Kadawa Miltara Quarters of Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano was charged by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) with one count charge of trafficking in persons.
The defence Counsel, M.B. Isa, pleaded for leniency on behalf of his client as a first time offender.
“The defendant is married and has five children. We pray the court to temper justice with mercy according to section 416 (2) of ACJL 2015,” he said.
Justice Sa’adatu Ibrahim-Mark of the Federal High Court, Kano sentenced the convict without an option of fine.
The judge directed the convict to pay N250,000 in compensation.