Nigeria: Man sentenced to two years for receiving trafficked victims in Sokoto

By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria

A High Court in Sokoto State has sentenced a 43-year-old man, Gerald Eugene, to two years in prison for receiving two victims of human trafficking with the intent to exploit them.

This was made public by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in a statement posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday. According to the agency, Eugene was arraigned on April 15, 2025, before Justice Mu’awiya Dahiru, who delivered the conviction on Monday.

Eugene was charged under Section 13(2)(c) of the Trafficking in Persons Act, 2015, which addresses receiving trafficked persons for exploitation. The court found him guilty and sentenced him accordingly.

This case echoes a similar one from 2019 in Osun State, where a 29-year-old woman, Sekinat Owolabi, was sentenced to four years in prison for trafficking and promoting prostitution abroad. The presiding judge at that time emphasized the need for such punishments to serve as a warning to others.

Eugene will now serve his term in a correctional facility as part of Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to curb human trafficking.