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From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Justice Geraldine Ono Imadegbelo of a Benin High Court, Criminal Division, yesterday, remanded a 34-year old Efoghe Sunday Osamudiamen at Oko Correctional Centre for alleged sexual exploitation of a 14 year-old girl in Benin City.
Imadegbelo remanded the suspect till May 10, 2023, when the case would come up for a further mention.
This remand was sequel to an exparte motion brought before the court by the Benin Zonal office of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on a two-court charge.
Efoghe was charged for alleged procurement of the victim for sexual exploitation, contrary to Section 16 (1) of the Trafficking Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
The suspects was also said to have in 2018 procured a 19 year-old girl, who was then 14 years, for sexual exploitation with himself.
He was accused to have procured the victim for pornographic performance contrary to Section 17 of Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration.
Counsel to the national agency told the court that a friend of the victim on April 13, reported to NAPTIP that the victim was sexually exploited by the suspect.
She added that the suspect subsequently used her for pornographic performance and uploaded the ponographic video into internet.
She also added that the victim then narrated her ordeal with the respondent and petitioned NAPTIP Benin Command that the suspect procured the victim for himself and started having canal knowledge of her from the age of 14years.
The counsel, however, prayed the court to grant an order granting the detention of the suspect in Correctional Center pending the conclusion of the investigation of the offence of Human Trafficking against the suspect.
In her ruling, Justice Geraldine Ono Imadegbelo ordered the remand of the suspect at Oko Correctional for two weeks.
