Calabar, Cross River State – A Federal High Court in Calabar has sentenced a married couple to 15 years in prison each for child trafficking, following a successful prosecution by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
Esther Ini Udo and her husband, Eyo Stephen Udo, were found guilty on four counts related to buying and selling infants for exploitation, violating the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015.
Court proceedings revealed that Esther sold her own newborn for N300,000 to a woman identified as Oluchi Judith, who remains at large. Additionally, the couple allegedly purchased a one-year-old child for N150,000 from two individuals and resold the child to the same buyer for N400,000.
Justice I. Ojukwu condemned the offences, describing child trafficking as a grave violation of human rights and a serious criminal act.
Although both defendants initially pleaded not guilty, the court convicted them on all charges. Each has been sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment with an alternative N2 million fine, effective from April 1, 2026.
The court also instructed NAPTIP to intensify efforts to apprehend Oluchi Judith and bring her to justice, highlighting the ongoing fight against child trafficking in Nigeria.
The verdict underscores the Nigerian judiciary’s commitment to cracking down on trafficking networks and protecting vulnerable children from exploitation.
