Benedicta Usen, also known as Carol Omomoh, has been sentenced to five years in prison by the Federal High Court in Abuja for trafficking a woman for prostitution.
In his ruling on Monday, Justice Inyang Ekwo found that the prosecution had proven its case against Omomoh beyond a reasonable doubt.
She was convicted on all eight counts, with the judge handing down two and a half years for counts one, three, five, and seven, and five years for counts two, four, six, and eight.
The sentences will run concurrently, effective from February 3. No option of a fine was allowed.
Justice Ekwo criticized Omomoh’s conduct, calling her a “barefaced liar” for denying her earlier statements to the police. The judge also condemned her role in trafficking vulnerable women like Cynthia Omoieke for exploitation in Italy, stressing that individuals like Omomoh must be removed from society for good.
The case was brought before the court by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who charged Omomoh as the sole defendant.
According to the charges, Omomoh, alongside her accomplice, Oyomiya Lamidi (who is still at large), conspired in 2011 in Lagos to recruit and transport Cynthia Omoieke to Italy through the UK, using deception and exploiting the victim’s vulnerability.
These actions violated Section 27 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration (TPPEA) Act, 2015.
Despite pleading not guilty to the charges, Omomoh was convicted after the prosecution presented two witnesses who testified against her.
(Prompt news)