Human Trafficker Bags 7 Months Jail For Selling Nigerian Women To Saudi Arabia Men

A 35-year-old human trafficker, Adegbenro Adekola, has been sentenced to seven months imprisonment by the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, for selling 27 years old Oluwakemi Folayemi Awoyeju to a Saudi Arabian man as a slave.

The prosecution counsel for the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, Mrs Caroline Zaruwa, had during arraignment told the court that the convict who lived at the old Osogbo International School building on Osogbo had on or about November 2017 recruited, exported and sold out the victim who lived at Mbabi-Mbayo Road 7, Ile-Ife, Osun State, as a slave to one Isa Obeid Salem Amari in Saudi Arabia.

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He added that Adegbenro also organised foreign travels for Awoyeju; Damilola Zainab; Tone Dasola ‘F and one Tosin F to Saudi Arabia for exploitative purposes.

Zaruwa noted that the offences are contrary to and punishable under Section 24 and 18 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015.

The presiding judge, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, held that the convict was guilty of the charge preferred against him.

The judge, while delivering judgment in the case, held that the prosecution was able to prove that Awoyeju’s one year salary was paid to her after the intervention of police and the remaining six months salaries were yet to be paid.

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Justice Ayoola held that the testimony given by Awoyeju that her Nigerian passport and mobile phones were seized upon arrival in Saudi Arabia and that she was sexually harassed, were also not denied by the convict.

The judge stated that it was proven that $600;was collected by the convict for the transaction.

However, counsel for the convict, Biodun Olaide, urged the court to be lenient in sentencing his client, noting that he was a first time offender.

He informed the court that the convict has the license to operate but failure to read the Act against trafficking put him into trouble.

Justice Ayoola thereby sentenced Adekola to seven months imprisonment and payment of additional N100,000.

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He noted that many people are not aware of the NAPTIP Act and ordered that the jail term should run concurrently.

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