Woman Sentenced To Five Years In Prison For Trafficking Victim To Italy For Prostitution
A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Benedicta Usen, also known as Mrs. Carol Omomoh, to five years in prison for trafficking a young woman to Italy for prostitution.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Inyang Ekwo ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt, convicting Omomoh on all eight counts of human trafficking.
Justice Ekwo sentenced Omomoh to two years and six months each on counts one, three, five, and seven, while counts two, four, six, and eight carried a five-year prison sentence each—all without the option of a fine. However, the judge ordered that the sentences run concurrently, meaning she will serve five years in total, starting from February 3.
The judge described Omomoh as “a barefaced liar, a crooked and dishonest human being”, condemning her for trafficking vulnerable young women into prostitution abroad.
“People like the defendant must be taken out of society for good,” Justice Ekwo declared while delivering the ruling.
According to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), who filed the case FHC/ABJ/CR/121/2019, Omomoh—alongside an accomplice Oyomiya Lamidi (now at large)—trafficked Cynthia Loveth Ese Omoieke to Italy through the United Kingdom (UK) in 2011 under false pretenses.
The offence, which involved recruiting, transporting, and exploiting the victim for prostitution, violates Section 27 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration (TPPEA) Act, 2015.
Despite pleading not guilty, the prosecution, led by the Inspector-General of Police, presented two witnesses whose testimonies helped secure the conviction.
This ruling marks another step in Nigeria’s efforts to combat human trafficking, ensuring justice for victims and holding perpetrators accountable under the law.
