Court Jails Akwa Ibom Man 5 Years For Child Trafficking

The Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo has sentenced a man, Bassey Edem Akpan, to five years’ imprisonment for his involvement in child trafficking.

LEADERSHIP Sunday learnt that Akpan was among six persons accused of conspiring to steal a child in 2019 and sell the victim to buyers across several states.

According to the particulars of the case, the victim, an indigene of Akwa Ibom State, was initially sold in neighbouring Abia State for N100,000 before being transferred to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where the price rose to N300,000 and subsequently N400,000.

The child was later taken to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, where the trafficking syndicate reportedly sold the victim for N1 million.

The court heard that Akpan stood trial alongside five co-defendants who absconded after being granted bail, leaving him as the only defendant to face the full trial.

The case initially commenced in the Itu Local Government Area Judicial Division before moving to the Ibiono Ibom division and eventually to Uyo, the state capital, where the trial began de novo.

In his judgment, Justice Okon Okon held that the prosecution had proved its case against Akpan beyond reasonable doubt and found him guilty of child stealing.

The court subsequently sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment, directing that the sentence take effect from the date of judgment.