Court sentences man to 7 years in jail for trafficking girls from Rivers to Libya

A federal high court sitting in Kano has sentenced one Ikenna Idananke, aged 27, to seven years in prison for trafficking two girls from Rivers state to Libya.

Jane Inyang, the presiding judge, at the court sitting on Tuesday, convicted Idananke after he pleaded guilty to the two counts preferred against him by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

Inyang sentenced the 27-year-old to seven years in prison and also imposed a N1 million fine on each of the two counts preferred against the convict.

Abdullahi Babale, counsel to NAPTIP, had earlier told the court that the convict had on September 30, trafficked one Chinaza Igbonachren, aged 17, from Imo state, and Goodnews Ikeme of Umuchiolu Aluu in Rivers, to Libya.

Babale said Idananke allegedly connived with his one Okechukwu, his brother, who is at large, to commit the offence and engage the girls in prostitution.

According to the NAPTIP counsel, the trip originated from Port Harcourt in Rivers state en route Kano.

Babale added that the offence was punishable under section 18 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015.