The sledgehammer of justice fell heavily on two heartless middle-aged sex offenders in Nigeria as High Courts in Sokoto and Nasarawa States have convicted them for sexual exploitation of two minors of ages 9 and 13years old respectively.
While the High Court in Sokoto presided over by Honourable Justice Muhammad Muhammad slammed the first convict, Aminu Ibrahim with many years of imprisonment, Honourable Justice Asmau’u Mainoma of the Nasarawa State High Court handed the second convict, Mr. Jonathan Shember heavy conviction for several years.
The two convicts were dragged before the Courts by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
It would be recalled that the Director-General of the Agency, Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, had promised justice for victims of human trafficking and assuring the general public that preventive measures will be put in place that will deter offenders and offenders to be.
The latest development has further boosted the contents of the Nigeria Sexual Offences and Service Register which is presently domiciled with NAPTIP as the two cases have been migrated into the register.
Investigation revealed that in the case of Aminu Ibrahim (SS/76c/2020 filed on 9th September 2020, the convict who was arrested by the operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense in Sokoto metropolis, was said to be a neighbor of the victim and often lured her with offers of biscuit and money and thereafter pounced on her sexually.
In a related development, the second convict, Jonathan Shenber was said to be a security man in one of the popular schools in the Mararaba area of Nasarawa State. The Court held that he had consistently sexually exploited the underage girl for about three years and that the victim was forced to open up to the school authority when the sexual exploitation becomes unbearable for her.
Speaking on the judgments, Director-General of NAPTIP, Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, commended the Judiciary for granting an accelerated hearing on the two cases saying that it was a judgment well delivered.
While calling on employers of labour in Nigeria to always carry out a diligent investigation before employing any persons in a child-friendly and gender-sensitive environment in order to reduce cases of sexual abuses, the NAPTIP boss warned that the Agency shall continue to carry out its duties in order to protect the vulnerable and the voiceless in the Country.
