By Eben Enasco Kingsley Benin City
Two persons said to have been allegedly involved in human trafficking in Benin City, the Edo State capital, were on Thursday arraigned by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIC.
The suspects, Ufor Papa Samuel 38 and Gift Lawrence 26 -year- old, were arraigned on a two count charge before his worship, Chief Magistrate C.E. Oghuma, of Magistrate Court 4, Evboriaria, Benin City.
The accused persons were charged for offences of human trafficking contrary to sections 13(4) d and 14(5) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, respectively.
The first accused person, Ufor Papa Samuel, had earlier been granted administrative bail for trafficking two girls to Mali before he was rearrested for recruiting another girl for similar act.
The accused persons were represented by defense counsel J.O. Oderi and S.A. Osifo, for the first and second accused persons, respectively.
Our correspondent reports that the two suspected persons were however remanded in prison custody until September 15, 2017 for human trafficking related offences.
Meanwhile, reacting to the development the Director General of NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli, said that the Agency under her leadership has a zero tolerance to all form of human trafficking related offences .
She however advised that traffickers should seek for legitimate means of livelihood in their own in terest or face the consequences.
