Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
A Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri has sentenced a 37-year-old woman, Fatima Sanda, to two years in prison for procuring a 16-year-old girl for sexual exploitation.
The court, presided over by Justice Aisha M. Ndume at Court 10, also ordered Sanda to pay N500,000 in compensation to the victim, according to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
The agency disclosed the conviction in a statement published on its Facebook page, adding that the offence contravened Section 16(1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, as amended.
The conviction, secured by NAPTIP on Monday, October 12, 2026, underscores the legal consequences of procuring minors for sexual exploitation under Nigeria’s anti-trafficking laws.
In a separate case, the Niger State High Court in Minna sentenced a 27-year-old man, Hussaini Suleiman, to seven years’ imprisonment for assaulting an eight-year-old girl at his residence behind the Prison Quarters in Minna.
NAPTIP said Suleiman pleaded guilty to the offence after the case was referred to its Niger State Command by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on April 16, 2026, following a report of the rape of the minor.
“The convict admitted to committing the offence and was arraigned before Court 8 of the Niger State High Court, Minna, on 10th September 2026,” the statement added.
The two convictions highlight ongoing legal action against sexual offences involving children and the role of NAPTIP in prosecuting cases of sexual exploitation and abuse of minors.
