Court jails two Delta officials for child trafficking

A Magistrate Court in Warri in Delta State has convicted two officials of the state Ministry of Women Affairs for child trafficking.

The Court at weekend presided by Chief Magistrate Garaldine Uche Ofulue (Mrs.), convicted the two persons (Ubido Blessing, level 14, Social welfare Officer, 50 years, and Christy Urhueme, level 12, Social worker, 46 years old) to six months each imprisonment.

It was gathered that the duo were caught in the web of child trafficking and were dragged to Court by taskforce on human trafficking and irregular migration in the state, and headed by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Peter Mrakpor.

The convicts were said to have been charged for offences bordering on attempted child trafficking and attempt to sell a six months old baby to Lucky Tony at the sum of N200,000.

But the prosecution counsel, who doubles as the Director, Child’s Rights/ Sexual Offences, Mrs. Uche Akamagwuna, had said that the offence is punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap C21, volume 1, laws of Delta state of Nigeria, 2006 and section 509 of the Criminal Code Law Cap C21 volume 1 laws of Delta State 2006.

The two officials in their statements however denied any wrong doing and the two count charge, alleging that they were trumped up charges just as they prayed the court to quash the charges preferred against them for lack of sufficient evidence linking them to the offence.

The presiding magistrate however found them guilty on two count charge and sentenced them accordingly.