Justice Haruna A. Offor of the Nassarawa State High Court has sentenced a 48 years old man, Pastor Bawa Madaki to 14 years imprisonment for child trafficking.
The accused from Kaduna State was arraigned on a two-count charge by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons, NAPTIP for fraudulently procuring two under-aged children between 5 and 7 years from their parents in Zanzo Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The accused subsequently sent one child to Lagos in an illegal adoption arrangement and the other to Abuja as a domestic worker, thus depriving their parents of the lawful custody of the children.
This according to NAPTIP contravenes section 19 (e) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003 (as amended).
The case, which was filed on May 27, 2015, was transferred to NAPTIP by the Nigerian Police who acted on a tip-off as officers of the Agency thereafter moved in and rescued the children.
Delivering judgment in the case on Monday, the presiding Judge Justice Offor convicted the accused person and thereafter sentenced him to 14 (fourteen) years imprisonment without the option of a fine.
Reacting to the judgment, the Director-General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli praised the tenacity of the prosecuting Officers and the Judiciary for ensuring that justice is served in this case.
She also used the opportunity to caution the public against illegal adoption and engaging of under-aged children as domestic workers, whom she said are often maltreated and abused by their employers.
She warned detractors to desist from such acts as the arm of the law will catch up with them if they fail to do so. This brings the total amount of convictions secured by the Agency to 342 (three hundred and forty two).
