Rivers woman jailed 10 years for selling 19-month-old baby for N200,000

 

Blessing Stephen was sentenced to ten years in jail by a Magistrate’s Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for conspiracy and child trafficking.

The Chief Magistrate, Felicitas Amanze, characterized Stephen as unrepentant and hardened, saying that the prosecution established she misled the child’s mother, Abigail Monday, into selling her infant for N200,000 and giving her N20,000 in exchange.

Stephen was sentenced to three years in prison on count one and seven years in prison on count two. According to the chief magistrate, the sentences will be served consecutively.

The court further ordered that the child’s mother report to the court three times a week for the next year to sweep and dust the furnishings in the courtroom.

Monday and Stephen were charged with selling the latter’s 19-month-old kid for N200,000.

Speaking to journalists outside the court, a legal officer representing the International Federation of Women Lawyers, Esther Okorienta, said the judgement would serve as a deterrent to child traffickers.

She said, “We are delighted with the judgement of the court. We also noted with dismay the arrogance of the second defendant. She was not even remorseful after the judgement. We are happy that she was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. The rate of child trafficking in the country is alarming.”