A Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri has sentenced a 37-year-old woman, Fatima Sanda, to two years’ imprisonment for procuring a 16-year-old girl for sexual exploitation.
The conviction was secured by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, which disclosed the judgment in a statement on Monday. The court, presided over by Justice Aisha M. Ndume, also ordered Sanda to pay N500,000 in compensation to the victim.
According to NAPTIP, Sanda was convicted of procuring the teenage girl and subjecting her to sexual exploitation by other people. The offence was prosecuted under Section 16(1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, as amended.
The judgment highlights the legal consequences of trafficking-related offences involving the exploitation of minors, as authorities continue efforts to prosecute individuals accused of recruiting or facilitating the exploitation of vulnerable people.
The agency did not provide further details in the supplied account about the circumstances in which the victim was procured or the location where the exploitation occurred.
NAPTIP also referenced a separate case in Niger State in which a 27-year-old man, Hussaini Suleiman, was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment for assaulting an eight-year-old girl at his residence behind the Prison Quarters in Minna.
According to the agency, Suleiman pleaded guilty to the offence. The case was referred to NAPTIP’s Niger State Command by the state command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on April 16, 2026, following a report concerning the rape of the minor.
Suleiman was arraigned before Court 8 of the Niger State High Court in Minna on September 10, 2026. The agency said the court subsequently handed down the seven-year sentence.
The two cases concern different offences and separate judicial proceedings, but both involve minors and allegations of sexual abuse or exploitation. They also demonstrate the role of law enforcement agencies and the courts in pursuing cases involving violence against children.
NAPTIP is responsible for enforcing Nigeria’s laws against human trafficking and related exploitation. Its work includes investigating suspected offences, supporting prosecutions and collaborating with other agencies on cases involving vulnerable victims.
The compensation order in Sanda’s case provides an additional legal remedy for the victim alongside the custodial sentence. However, the supplied statement did not specify when the payment must be made or provide further information about support services available to the victim.
The convictions underline the importance of reporting suspected exploitation and ensuring that cases involving children receive appropriate investigation and legal attention.
