Two women bag 12-year imprisonment for child trafficking in Rivers

A Magistrate Court sitting in Port Harcourt, yesterday, sentenced two women, identified as Chinaza Smart and Amarachi Ahukanna to 12-year imprisonment for conspiracy and child trafficking.

The women, whose age ranges from 21 and 28 years, were convicted for conspiring to sell a two-year-old Daniel Smart, the second son of the first defendant (Chinaza Smart), for the sum of N400, 000 to a woman at Ihiala in Anambra State simply identified as Precious, who is now at large.

Chief Magistrate Felicitas Amanze, in her verdict, convicted the women for committing a heinous crime against an innocent child, whose whereabouts are yet unknown.

The court held that the 2nd defendant (Amarachi Ahukanna), who introduced the 1st defendant to the child trafficking business, lied to the court that she did not sell her son.

The Chief Magistrate ruled that the 2nd defendant is a chronic and unrepentant child trafficker.

Chief Magistrate Amanze sentenced the two accused to five years on count one and seven years on two counts, which is to run consecutively.

Reacting, Head of Legal, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Rivers State, Esther Achor-Korienta, commended the Chief Magistrate for the judgment,  noting that FIDA has been following up the case from the beginning.

She said the federation is happy with the judgment as the organisation is poised to ensure child trafficking is stopped in the state.

She said: “The parties were sentenced to years imprisonment, five years for conspiracy and seven years for child trafficking. “We are so happy with the judgment of the court and we hope that this serves as a deterrent to others.”