By Anamati Inyang
RismadarVoice Media
November 22, 2025
A Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State, has convicted four individuals for offences bordering on the buying and selling of a human being, including obtaining possession of a four-year-old child with the intent to sell.
The judgement, delivered by Hon. Justice Raphael Joshua Egbe, followed a one-count charge filed against the defendants by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). Investigations revealed that the accused persons conspired to obtain and sell the child, an act classified as human trafficking under Nigerian law.
According to NAPTIP, the defendants were arraigned on November 20, 2023, and subsequently convicted on November 20, 2025, for violating Section 21 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015. They each received a sentence of two years’ imprisonment along with a fine of one million naira
NAPTIP reiterated its commitment to combating all forms of human trafficking and urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities. The agency further emphasized that the conviction underscores the government’s unwavering stance against crimes involving the exploitation of vulnerable persons, especially children.
RismadarVoice Media will continue to monitor developments in the fight against human trafficking across the country.
