TheCable

A federal high court in Lagos has sentenced a 55-year-old woman, Patricia Igbinovia, to seven years imprisonment for trafficking young girls to Spain for prostitution.

Igbinovia was prosecuted by the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

The convict was arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on “trafficking of young girls, promoting girls prostitution and sexual exploitation”.

NAN reports that  Igbinovia pleaded guilty to the charge.

Becky Jibo, the prosecutor, said the convict belonged to a syndicate that specialises in sponsoring young girls abroad for prostitution.

Jibo said the girls were taken from Lagos to be trafficked to Málaga in Spain as sex workers.

During the trial, the prosecutor presented one Mabel Bajulaiye, a member of the investigation intelligence group, who told the court that the crime was exposed through collaboration between the Nigerian and Spanish governments.

Bajulaiye said the federal government through the office of the attorney general of the federation (AGF), received an intelligence report about the activities of a Nigeria trafficking syndicate in 2016.

She said a team of investigators from Spain had arrested some members of the group, including one Cynthia Orjiakor and Katie James.

“Shortly after, a team of investigators from Nigeria had to travel to Spain to gather more intelligence on the case,” the witness said.

“The team was told that they were going to send more intelligence to Nigeria to help in the investigation.”

According to the witness,  the convict had in the past changed her actual name to different others such as Patricia Ekhoe Igbinovia, Mama Bobby and Mariam Audu Olayemi.

While delivering judgment, Chukwujekwu Aneke, the presiding judge, admitted the exhibit of the prosecution and convicted the defendant as charged.

Aneke said the crime contravenes the provisions of section 18 of the trafficking in persons (prohibition) enforcement and administration Act 2015.

“The court is not unmindful of the harm and trauma the activities of the convict has done to the country before the international community,” he said.

The judge sentenced the woman to seven years imprisonment and ordered her to pay  N1 million for the unlawful act.