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Henry Uche
The sledge hammer of justice has fallen heavily on a 54-year-old woman, Mrs. Helen Ehionzee and her two children, Endurance and Vivian, as a Benin High Court sentenced them to 34 years imprisonment without option of fine for an offence of human trafficking and exploitation.
In a statement delivered by
Adekoye Vincent, Press and Public Relations Unit of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the convicts were dragged before the Benin Hige Court by NAPTIP following their arrest over the trafficking of a girl (Name withheld) to Russia in 2012.
According to the statement, the victim who was later rescued from the sexual exploitation by a Russian Based Non – Governmental organization, was 19yeras old at the time of the incident and was recruited from Benin with a fake promise of profitable job abroad.
It stated that the latest development came on the heels of the repeated warnings by the Director-General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah – Donli, who is also the Chair of the newly inaugurated Board of the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking that the Agency shall no more tolerate any form of trafficking in the Country.
Following the arrest of the convicts by operatives of NAPTIP and detailed investigation, the case was subsequently charged to the Benin High Court with charge No B/NAPTIP/IC/19 on the 7th November, 2017 before the then Hon. Justice Eruaga now retired.
“The case started initially on 29th October, 2018, where the defendants pleaded not guilty to an amended charge dated 5th October, 2018 to wit: Count 1, procurement of persons for prostitution contrary to Section 15 (a) for 1st & 2nd defendants.
“Count 2, Organizing foreign travels which promotes prostitution, section 16 for 2nd defendant. Count 3, Promoting foreign travels which promotes prostitution Section 16 of the Trafficking in persons prohibition law Enforcement and Administration Act 2003 as amended, for 1st and 3rd defendants.
“The Prosecution called 4 witnesses in proof of its case while the defendants testified for themselves and called no witness. The 1st defendant (Endurance Ehiozee) male now 37yrs of age was sentenced to 14yrs imprisonment on count 1 and 10 yrs imprisonment on count 3 to run concurrently without option of fine.
“The 2nd defendant(Vivian Omoyemwen Ehiozee) 31yrs was sentenced to 14yrs imprisonment on count 1 and 10 yrs imprisonment on count 2 without option of fine.
“The 3rd defendant(Helen Ehiozee) 54 yrs and mother to 1st and 2nd defendants was sentenced to 10 yrs imprisonment on count 3 with out an option of fine. The defendants are From Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. Delivering the Judgement at Criminal Court 2, Hon. Justice Geraldine Imadubelo said that the sentences are without option of fine,” the statement reads.
Reacting to the judgment, the Director General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah – Donli, hailed the judgment of the Court saying that the sentence which was without option of fine will certainly serve as deterrent to would – be traffickers.
The NAPTIP boss said, “ I am glad that adequate justice was dully served on the convicts. I commend the Judiciary in Nigeria for their support in the fight against human trafficking and I sue for more support.
“I also commend Officers and Men of the Benin Zonal Command for the diligent prosecution of the case. On our part, we shall continue to unleash heat on human traffickers in the Country. Our resolve is to make Nigeria a human trafficking free nation is resolute and unwavering.
“It is in the realization of this that we have commenced the inauguration of State Task Forces on Human Trafficking in the Country among other counter-trafficking measures.
We have also activated our surveillance strategies to match the antics of the traffickers ahead of the yuletide” the NAPTIP DG maintained.
