According to Punch Newspaper, A Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has sentenced Joy Nwafor, a widow, to seven years in prison for human trafficking and modern slavery.
Justice Modupe Nicol-Clay delivered the verdict after finding Nwafor guilty of trafficking a 15-year-old girl under false pretenses. The Lagos State Government had charged her with human trafficking and contemporary slavery.
In her ruling, Justice Nicol-Clay emphasized that the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. She noted that the victim was deceived with false promises of financial gain, forcibly taken from her home at 2 a.m., and later handed over to another individual without her guardian’s consent.
"This constitutes an act of trafficking and enslavement," the judge stated. She further highlighted that child labor remains a pressing issue in Nigeria, with many children forced into exploitative conditions.
The court considered the defense counsel’s plea, which cited Nwafor’s status as a widow with a child in the village. However, the judge ruled that she must face the consequences of her actions. The sentence will be calculated from her remand date.
The prosecution, led by Mrs. Titilayo Olanrewaju-Daud, established that Nwafor committed the crime at No. 17, Sanni Street, Amukoko, Lagos.
The victim, then a primary school student, testified that Nwafor lured her with false promises and later handed her over to a woman named Anthonia, for whom she worked without pay for four years. She endured physical abuse and forced labor.
She was eventually rescued when a man from her village, learning of her plight, informed the police, leading to Nwafor’s arrest.
