A High Court sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State, has sentenced a 33-year-old woman, Salamatu Saidu, to five years’ imprisonment for trafficking two persons through fraudulent means.
The conviction, secured by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, was handed down by Justice Bukar Umar on Monday—same day the defendant was arraigned—highlighting an expedited prosecution in the case.
According to the agency, Saidu was found guilty of facilitating the illegal movement of victims aged 21 and 33 through deception, an offence that violates Section 26(2) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
NAPTIP, in a statement on Thursday, explained that the law criminalises the recruitment, transportation or harbouring of persons through fraudulent or unlawful means, stressing that the convict’s actions fell squarely within the prohibited conduct.
The agency described the judgment as a significant boost to ongoing efforts to clamp down on human trafficking networks across the country, noting that swift convictions remain a critical deterrent.
Data previously released by NAPTIP indicate sustained enforcement, with dozens of convictions recorded annually and hundreds secured since the agency’s inception.
Officials reaffirmed their commitment to intensifying surveillance, prosecution and public awareness to curb trafficking and protect vulnerable Nigerians.