8th March, 2016
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
A Chief Magistrate’s Court, sitting in Igarra, Akoko-Edo, Edo state, has sentenced a 45-year old palm wine seller, Joseph Okoye, to three years imprisonment with hard labour, for for sexually defiling a four year old girl.
This is even as a federal high court sitting in Benin, has sentenced a 37-year-old man, Favour Eboigbe, to 10 years imprisonment for human trafficking.
Prosecution told the court that the palm wine seller lured the minor in the month of August, 2014, from the house of her great-grandmother and then took her to his shop, where he sexually defiled her.
Examinations conducted by the Chief Medical Director of the General Hospital, Igarra, confirmed that the victim was sexually abused as she suffered tearing of the vagina.
Delivering her judgement, the Chief Magistrate of the Court, Prince M. Oare ESQ, said: “I have listened to the plea for leniency by the Convict. I have also taken into consideration that the convict is a first time offender. However, taking the age of the Victim into consideration, the act of the Convict will not only be regarded as wicked, but evil.
“In this regard, an option of fine cannot be considered. The Convict is accordingly sentenced to three years in Prison with hard labour. The term of Imprisonment is to commence from when he was admitted into Prison Custody in 2014, since bail was not granted.”
The trial was initiated by Braveheart initiative for Youth and Women (BHI), a non governmental organisation.
Programme coordinator of BHI, Priscillia Usiobaifo, who commented on the judgement, said:
“The road towards this victorious day was never easy. BraveHeart Initiative for Youth & Women celebrates the fact that the legal outcome provides justice for the victim and her family and pledges to continue to dedicate ourselves to the prevention of Sexual Violence.
“One of the objectives of BraveHeart Initiative for Youth and Women (BHI) is to facilitate the recovery of abused children and women from gender based violence. BHI passionately intervenes in cases of rape. Rape is a gross violation of sexual and reproductive rights. Rape and sexual violence are extensively reinforced by patriarchal beliefs as a means of control and to exert dominance and power over those who are most vulnerable.”
A statement issued by the Spokesman of the Edo state office of the NAPTIP, Barr. Nduka Nwanwene, said Eboigbe, was jailed by Justice Okeke by the federal high court in suit No FHC/B/24C/2009, for trafficking six girls to Bokina Faso for prostitution.
Prosecution told the court during trial that the convict’s offence contravenes Sections 15a, 16 and 19b of Trafficking in Persons (prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003 as amended.