A 38 year-old woman, Peace Asukwo, has been arraigned before the Federal High Court, Lagos for allegedly procuring under-age girls for prostitution.
The defendants was arraigned before Justice Akintayo Aluko, by National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
NAPTIP lawyer, Becky Jibo, told the court that the defendant was arrested between March and June, 2023, at Laredo Motel, situated at Totomu Village, a border town between Lagos and Ogun States, where she harboured and used the underage girls for prostitution.
The prosecutor told the court that the defendant’s acts, contravened Section 15(b) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015 and punishable under the same Section of the Act.
The defendant, however, denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following her not guilty plea, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date, and urged the court to remand the defendant in prison custody till the determination of the charge.
The defendant’s lawyer, Nojeem Azeez, told the court that he was yet to file his client’s bail application and asked the court for a short date to enable him file the bail application.
With the lawyer’s plea, Justice Aluko adjourned the matter till September 12, for hearing of her bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Services pending the hearing and determination of her bail application.
