A High Court in Benin City on Tuesday convicted one Emmanuel Collins,36, to one-year imprisonment for trafficking two girls from Benin to Seme border.
Justice Isoken Erameh sentenced Collins after he had pleaded guilty to the two-count charges bothering on trafficking in persons (prohibition).
Erameh, however, gave the convict an option of fine of N125,000.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Mr Eusebius Umeh, had told the court that Collins of No.5, Ekpenbor St., off Temboga,Benin City, committed the offences sometime in March.
Umeh said that Collins used deceptive means to recruit Godday Itohan, 21, and Sunday Mercy, 21, and trafficked them from Benin City to Seme border where they were arrested.
He noted that the convict’s plans failed when he and the two girls were taken to NAPTIP Lagos zonal office and later sent back to Benin City for prosecution.
Narrating the story, Mr Ugochwuku Nwosu, a NAPTIP Senior Intelligent Officer, said that Collins deceived the two girls that his friend, one Omooba, had the connection to assist them to secure jobs as domestic -help in Dubai.
Nwosu said that Collins asked the girls to change their names to attractive English names.
He said that when the three of them arrived Seme border, Collins asked the girls to lie to the security personnel that they were going for a wedding close to Seme border.
During separate interrogations, the girls revealed why they were traveling through Seme border to Dubai.
Counsel to the defendant, Mr Igiebor Charles, however, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy on Collins, adding that Collins’ wife was delivered of a new baby while he was away on the journey.
He said that Collins had not seen his wife and the new the baby.
The counsel added that Collins had been remorseful and had since turned a new leaf.
