Court Sentences 20-Year-Old Man to Seven Years in Prison for Sexual Offence Against Minor

A Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu, Yobe State, has sentenced a 20-year-old man, Dauda Umaru, to seven years’ imprisonment for procuring and having sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old girl.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) announced the conviction in a statement published on its official Facebook page on Wednesday.

According to the agency, the case was heard at Court 2 of the Federal High Court in Damaturu, presided over by Justice Aisha Y. Salihu. Umaru was convicted under Section 16(1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, as amended.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Umaru to pay a total of ₦1.5 million. The amount comprises ₦1 million to be paid into the Victim Trust Fund Account and ₦500,000 as compensation to the victim.

NAPTIP stated that failure to pay the ordered amount would attract an additional seven months’ imprisonment.

The conviction highlights the legal consequences of offences involving the sexual exploitation of minors and the role of NAPTIP in pursuing cases under Nigeria’s anti-trafficking legislation.

In a related case previously reported by PUNCH Metro, NAPTIP secured the conviction of 37-year-old Fatima Sanda for procuring a 16-year-old girl for sexual exploitation. Sanda was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by the High Court of Justice, Court 10, with Justice Aisha Ndume presiding.

The court also ordered Sanda to pay ₦500,000 in compensation to the victim. The two cases underscore the legal penalties that may follow convictions for offences involving the exploitation of minors.