Abuja, Nigeria – A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Benedicta Usen, also known as Mrs. Carol Omomoh, to five years in prison without the option of a fine for human trafficking.
The ruling, delivered on Monday by Justice Inyang Ekwo, found Omomoh guilty of trafficking a young woman for prostitution, with the judge declaring that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Omomoh was convicted on all eight counts of the charge brought against her. Justice Ekwo sentenced her to two years and six months each on counts one, three, five, and seven, while counts two, four, six, and eight carried five-year sentences each.
However, the court ordered that all sentences will run concurrently, meaning Omomoh will serve a total of five years behind bars, effective from February 3.
During the judgment, Justice Ekwo strongly condemned Omomoh’s actions, describing her as a “barefaced liar, a crooked and dishonest human being.”
He noted that her attempt to deny her previous voluntary statement to the police in court only further demonstrated her lack of credibility.
“To even have the audacity to stand in court and deny the statement she made voluntarily to the police shows how depraved she is,” the judge remarked.
According to Justice Ekwo, evidence presented in court revealed that Omomoh was engaged in the systematic trafficking of young and vulnerable women, including Miss Cynthia Omoieke, for prostitution abroad.
The judge emphasized the severity of the crime, stating that individuals like Omomoh must be removed from society.
“People like the defendant must be taken out of society for good,” Justice Ekwo declared before issuing the sentencing.
The case highlights the ongoing battle against human trafficking in Nigeria, where vulnerable women and girls are often lured with false promises of a better life abroad, only to be exploited in the sex trade.
Authorities have stepped up efforts to crack down on traffickers, with this conviction serving as a warning to others engaged in similar crimes.
While human rights advocates have welcomed the sentencing, they continue to push for more robust measures to combat human trafficking, including better victim support and stronger international cooperation to dismantle trafficking networks.
Omomoh’s conviction adds to a growing list of prosecutions under Nigeria’s human trafficking laws, which criminalize the recruitment, transportation, and exploitation of individuals for forced labor or sexual exploitation.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has urged victims of trafficking to come forward and report their experiences to aid in the fight against the crime.
With the court’s ruling, Omomoh will now begin serving her sentence, marking another legal victory in Nigeria’s fight against human trafficking.
