BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
The Sokoto Zonal Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP) Monday secured it’s 55th conviction of actors, collaborators or perpetrators of trafficking in persons (TIP) in 2023 alone.
Announcing the conviction in a letter addressed to the Director General of NAPTIP by the Sokoto Zonal Commander, Abubakar Tabra, the convict was identified as 35 year old Ishola Adedeji (AKA) Benjamin who was arraigned on 3 count charges bordering on attempts to facilitate illegal foreign travels contrary to sections of Trafficking In Persons Prohibition Enforcement and Administration Act of 2015.
The letter further stated that the convict, Ishola Adedeji, was sentenced and convicted to three months imprisonment on each of the 3 counts charges or an option of fine of the sum of Two Hundred Thousand naira for each of the 3 counts.
According to available details, Justice Isah Mohammed Bargaja of the State High Court 4 on 16th of October, 2023 in a summary trial convicted Ishola Adedeji (AKA) Benjamin to nine months imprisonment with an option of fine to the tune of 600,000 naira.
The NAPTIP letter marked NAPTIP/SZC Vol.1 dated 16th of October, 2023 and addressed to the Director General of NAPTIP said the convict, Ishola, tried to facilitate the travel of 1 male and 2 female victims for the purposes of exploitation.
Summary of the letter reads, that, the convict, Ishola Adedeji (AKA) Benjamin, 35 years old was charged on Three (3) count charges for attempt to facilitate foreign travel which promotes exploitation of three (3) victims, “23 years old young man, Bidemi, 23 years old, Helen and 20 years old Blessing.
Recall that Sokoto State is a transit route for irregular migrants considering it’s border with the Republic of Niger.
And because of the porousity of the border, many perpetrators consider the State as a leeway to traffic their dubious merchandize of persons for exploitation.
This, they do in collaboration with their cartel members using illegal routes from Illela border (Sokoto), Kwoni and Agadez (Niger Republic) to Morocco, and finally Libya before embarking on the journey of “No Return” through the sea to Italy.
