A 36-year-old man, Umar Faruq, has been sentenced to five years in prison for human trafficking and exploiting a 2-year-old child. The conviction was handed down by Justice Makama at a Bauchi State High Court, following a case brought forward by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Bauchi Command.
In a statement on February 28, 2025, NAPTIP confirmed that the crime violated Section 21 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015. The court sentenced Faruq to five years imprisonment and a fine of N2 million for obtaining possession of the child for exploitation. He was also fined an additional N1 million and sentenced to five years for facilitating the act, as per Section 13(4)(c) of the same Act. Both sentences will run concurrently.
