A lady identified as Blessing Stephen has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for conspiracy and child trafficking.
Chief Magistrate, Felicitas Amanze in the ruling described Stephen as unrepentant and hardened.
The Magistrate also noted that the prosecution proved that Stephen deceived the child’s mother, Abigail Monday, by giving her N20,000 from the N200,000 received from the sale of thr baby.
The Magistrate sentenced Stephen to three years on count one and seven years on count two. The sentences, according to the chief magistrate, will run consecutively.
The mother of the baby who was also found to have been complicit was directed to report herself to the court three times a week to sweep and dust the furniture in the courtroom for one year.
Addressing journalists after the court judgement, a legal officer representing the International Federation of Women Lawyers, Esther Okorienta, said the judgement would serve as a deterrent to child traffickers.
Okorienta said; “We are delighted with the judgement of the court. We also noted with dismay the arrogance of the second defendant. She was not even remorseful after the judgement. We are happy that she was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. The rate of child trafficking in the country is alarming.”
