The Federal High Court in Gombe has sentenced two individuals to two years’ imprisonment each for purchasing a newborn baby, reinforcing Nigeria’s stance against child trafficking.
The convicts, Ibe Chukwumeka of Niger State and Okafor Virgia of Nasarawa State, were found guilty of buying a newborn girl from Muhammad Abdullahi, who remains at large.
According to the prosecution, the defendants paid a sum of money directly to Abdullahi in exchange for the baby, in a transaction arranged without the consent of the child’s family.
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They were prosecuted under Section 21 of the Child Trafficking (Prohibition) Law, 2015 (as amended).
During the trial, the prosecution called witnesses who testified to witnessing or having knowledge of the illegal transaction, while the defence challenged the evidence.
The court, however, ruled that the prosecution had proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Justice Amina Aliyu-Muhammad delivered the judgment, ordering the convicts to be remanded at the Gombe Medium Security Custodial Centre, with an option to pay a N1 million fine each.
Both defendants had initially pleaded not guilty.
The case highlights the ongoing problem of child trafficking in Nigeria and serves as a stern warning against participating in illegal child trade.
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