24-yr-old woman arraigned in court for child trafficking

A 24-year-old woman, Ife Yusuf has been arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly luring three girls into prostitution.

Ife Yusuf was arrested and taken to court by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other related matters after she arrested on December 20, 2012 in the Ketu area of Lagos “after a tip-off by her neighbours.”

She appeared before Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia on Monday, February 2 after being charged with nine counts bordering on human trafficking.

According to NAPTIP prosecutor, Mrs. Kehinde Falade, Yusuf was being tried for deceitfully inducing the victims (names withheld) of 15, 16, and 22 years of age into prostitution.

Falade said, Yusuf had secured travelling documents for the girls with the aim of taking them to Burkina Faso to engage in prostitution.

“My Lord, this offence contravenes the provisions of sections 15 (a), 16, and 19 (b) of the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Law Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003,” Falada told the court.

Yusuf however pleaded not guilty to the nine charges against her while lawyer, Mr. Segun Onikoyi, pleaded with the court afterwards to admit her to bail in liberal terms.

Ofili-Ajumogobia granted the plead and admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.

The judge however ordered that the accused by remanded in custody pending the fulfilment of her bail conditions while case has been adjourned till Friday, March 6.