A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross
River State, on Thursday sentenced a 31-year-old man, Ifeanyi Okorogu, to two
years’ imprisonment with no option of fine for attempting to sell a
three-day-old baby girl.
Okorogu, who was arrested in December 2017, was
brought to the court by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking
in Persons on two counts.
The charge sheet, with number FHC/CA/68C/2017,
was signed by one Unimwen Aigbeze of NAPTIP, on behalf of the Minister of
Justice.
NAPTIP accused Okorogu of “harbouring a
16-year-old girl, Omah Eko, in October 2017, who was then pregnant, by means of
abuse of position of vulnerability giving to her benefits to achieve her
consent for the purpose of exploitation, thereby committing an offence
punishable under Section 13(2) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition)
Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.”
The agency also accused Okorogu of attempting to
sell Eko’s three-day-old baby to one Angela Nwaelechi on December 1, 2017,
thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 29 of the Trafficking in
Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
Okorogu’s lawyer, Cosmos Obinna, before the
judgement, urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
He said the accused was a first time offender
with no criminal record, adding that he had an unemployed wife, two children
and an aged mother who would suffer if he was incarcerated.
He said Okorogu had learnt from his mistakes and
would not commit such crime again.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Inyang Ekwo
sentenced Okorogu to two years on the first count and one year on the second
with no option of fine.
He said both sentences should run concurrently
starting from the day of his arrest.
Post A Comment: