A Bayelsa State High Court has sentenced a 29-year-old woman, Mariam Omokri, to seven years in imprisonment for human trafficking.
Omokri, who hails from Delta State, was prosecuted by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). She was arraigned on January 30, 2025, on charges of organizing and trafficking four girls from Bayelsa to Mali and Senegal for prostitution.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Doris Adokeme held that the prosecution successfully proved its case against the defendant.
She described the offence of human trafficking as “very serious” and one that has “negatively affected the image of the country internationally.”
The court sentenced Omokri to seven years in prison and ordered her to pay a fine of one million naira. Justice Adokeme directed that the prison terms shall run concurrently.
The Acting Commander of NAPTIP in Bayelsa, Mr. Fadewara Timiebiowei, represented by Barrister Charles Emomotimi, stated that the conviction sends a strong signal that “Bayelsa is not a safe haven for human trafficking activities.”
A representative of the victims’ family, Chief Charles Ambaowei, commended NAPTIP for its work and urged the state government to partner with the agency to eradicate human trafficking in the region.
Reporting by Ben Okofu