By Frank Ulom
A 55-year-old man, Etteokon Ntuen, has been jailed for one year for trafficking in Cross River State.
Converseer learned that Ntuen was convicted and sentenced on Thursday by the Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, for receiving and harbouring a 15-year-old girl through deception and abuse of her position of vulnerability for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
The Court, presided over by Justice L. I. Ojukwu, sentenced him to one (1) year imprisonment or, in the alternative, a fine of ₦250,000.00. The Court further ordered him to pay ₦300,000.00 as compensation to the survivor. In addition, he is to issue a written apology and enter into an undertaking to be of good behaviour. He remains in custody until all conditions are fully complied with.
The convict deceived the victim’s parents under the pretext of taking her to Lagos for schooling but instead harboured her in Calabar for sexual exploitation, contrary to Section 13(2)(b) of the Trafficking in Persons Act 2015.
According to Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI), one of the organisations that secured the conviction, the conviction reflects the coordinated efforts of UNICEF community case workers in Calabar; Dr Godwin Eyake and his team at NAPTIP; BRCI; and Mr Aniedi Effiong Ndak (aka Andy) of the Office of the State Security Adviser (Internal Security), Calabar, Cross River State, in ensuring that the matter was diligently prosecuted and that justice was served.
Commenting on the judgment on Friday, James Ibor Esq., Principal Counsel of BRCI, said he is dissatisfied with the judgment, adding that the sentence is grossly inadequate for such an offence.
“I am deeply dissatisfied with this outcome. A sentence of this nature appears grossly inadequate for such a grave offence.
“Most concerning is that the sentence is inconsistent with the clear and unambiguous provisions of Section 16(1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, which prescribes a minimum penalty of seven (7) years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than One Million Naira.
“In light of this, we will be urging NAPTIP and the Honourable Attorney General of Cross River State to review the judgment and consider filing an appeal,” Ibor stated.
