A Kano State High Court has sentenced six individuals to a total of 120 years in prison for their involvement in the abduction and trafficking of young children, bringing to an end a six-year-long case that drew national attention.
The convicted persons—Mercy Paul, Ebere Ogbono, Emmanuel Igwe, Loise Duru, Monica Oracha, and Chinelo Ifedigwe—were all found guilty of participating in a criminal network that targeted children under the age of 10.
The children, abducted from Kano, were trafficked and sold in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Presiding over the case, Justice Zuwaira Yusuf ruled that the six accused were guilty of all charges, which included abduction, concealment, aiding and abetting, and trafficking in minors. They were handed various prison terms with no option of fine.
According to the judgment, Mercy Paul received the highest sentence—55 years in prison. Ebere Ogbono was sentenced to 41 years, Emmanuel Igwe and Chinelo Ifedigwe to 9 years each, Loise Duru to 6 years, and Monica Oracha to 5 years.
The group’s ringleader, Paul Onwe, had earlier pleaded guilty in 2021 to 38 charges and was sentenced to 104 years in prison.
His six co-accused, however, denied the allegations and faced a full trial that spanned several years.
Their arrest in 2019 came after investigations uncovered the child trafficking ring, which shocked the nation and renewed calls for tighter child protection laws in Nigeria.