Key points
- A Federal High Court in Abeokuta has sentenced a 29-year-old woman to 45 years’ imprisonment for trafficking a minor to Benin Republic for sexual exploitation.
- The defendant, Eniola Boluwatife Adedeji, was convicted on nine of the 10 counts filed against her by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
- The victim was trafficked to Cotonou, Benin Republic, where she was sexually exploited.
- The court imposed five years’ imprisonment on each of the nine counts, with the sentences to run concurrently.
- NAPTIP said the conviction reinforces its determination to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable Nigerians.
Main story
A Federal High Court in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has sentenced 29-year-old Eniola Boluwatife Adedeji to 45 years’ imprisonment for trafficking a minor to Cotonou, Benin Republic, for sexual exploitation.
Adedeji was convicted on nine of the 10 counts preferred against her by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) after prosecutors established her involvement in the cross-border trafficking of the victim.
According to a statement by the Ogun State Commander of NAPTIP, Bose Jimoh, Justice A.J. Adeyemi of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, sentenced the convict to five years’ imprisonment on each of the nine counts, with the terms to run concurrently.
Jimoh disclosed that police officers arrested Adedeji in the Adigbe area of Abeokuta on August 18, 2024, before she was arraigned before the court on September 24, 2024.
The trial commenced on March 12, 2025, and concluded with judgment delivered on June 5, 2026. The court found the defendant guilty on counts one to eight and count 10 but discharged and acquitted her on count nine.
NAPTIP withheld the identity of the victim to protect her privacy, revealing only that she had been trafficked to Cotonou for sexual exploitation.
The issues
Human trafficking remains a major security and human rights challenge in Nigeria, with women and children among the most vulnerable to exploitation. Victims are often deceived with promises of employment, education or a better life before being forced into sexual exploitation, domestic servitude or other forms of abuse.
The offences in this case contravened provisions of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, which prescribes stiff penalties for recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring or exploiting individuals for sexual or labour exploitation.
The conviction also reflects the growing collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the judiciary in dismantling cross-border trafficking networks operating between Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries.
What’s being said
“The conviction was secured before Justice A.J. Adeyemi of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta,” Bose Jimoh, Ogun State Commander, NAPTIP, clarified.
“Investigations established Adedeji’s involvement in the cross-border trafficking of a minor, leading to her arraignment and prosecution before the court,” Jimoh stated.
“The agency remains committed to prosecuting offenders and protecting vulnerable Nigerians from modern-day slavery,” she affirmed.
What’s next
NAPTIP is expected to sustain investigations into cross-border trafficking syndicates while strengthening cooperation with domestic and international law enforcement agencies to rescue victims and prosecute offenders. The conviction is also likely to reinforce efforts to deter human traffickers operating within Nigeria and across its borders.
Bottom line
The judgment sends a strong message that Nigeria’s courts are prepared to impose severe penalties on convicted human traffickers. Beyond punishing the offender, the ruling reinforces ongoing efforts to curb cross-border trafficking and protect vulnerable children and other at-risk groups from exploitation.
