An Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo has delivered a judgment in a high-profile human trafficking case, sentencing a middle-aged man named Bassey Edem Akpan to five years in prison. The ruling marks a significant development in a legal process that investigated a criminal syndicate involved in stealing and repeatedly selling a minor across multiple Nigerian states.
According to court proceedings, the illicit operation began in 2019 when the child, an indigene of Akwa Ibom State, was stolen. The syndicate initially sold the victim in Abia State for one hundred thousand naira. As the child was moved across state lines, the price escalated significantly, reaching three hundred thousand naira and subsequently four hundred thousand naira in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The child was eventually transported to Abuja, where members of the trafficking ring sold the victim for one million naira.
During the course of the trial, Akpan faced prosecution alongside five co-defendants. However, the other individuals absconded after securing bail, leaving Akpan as the sole defendant present to endure the remainder of the legal proceedings. The case traveled through multiple jurisdictions, initiating in Itu, transitioning through Ibiono Ibom, and ultimately concluding in Uyo under a de novo trial.
Presiding over the matter, Justice Okon Okon determined that the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, establishing Akpan's guilt regarding child stealing. The court handed down a five-year prison sentence, which takes effect immediately from the date of the judgment.
Source reporting: BusinessDay — 2026-11-07 16:25:36
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