New Telegraph

Couple remanded in prison for human trafficking

Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo of a Federal High Court in Lagos has remanded a couple, Mr and Mrs Ademehintoye, in the custody of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) over alleged attempt to traffic a lady, Adetula Oluwatosin, to Oman for forced labour.

 

The remand order was sequel to their arraignment on a 4-count charge bordering on the alleged offence by NAPTIP. The couple, Peter Ademehintoye, 37, and Abosede Ademehintoye, 36, however pleaded not guilty to all the counts upon their arraignment.

 

After the plea of the defendants were taken, NAPTIP’s lawyer, C. I. Ajeigbu, sought their remand in the agency’s custody till the determination of the charges against them. Responding, defence lawyer, P. O. Onuchie, drew the court’s attention to his client’s bail application.

 

Arguing the application, the lawyer urged the court to admit the defendants to bail in the most liberal terms.

 

The application was not opposed to by the prosecutor, but  he urged the court to impose bail terms that will ensure the defendants’ presence in court till the determination of the charges against them.

 

Following parties’ arguments, Justice Oguntoyinbo ordered that the defendants be remanded in NAPTIP’s custody till December 11, 2020, when she will rule on their bail application. NAPTIP in a charge marked FHC/L/127c/2020, alleged that the husband, Peter Ademehintoye, had sometimes in 2019 at Block 25, Ikosi lsheri, Shopping Complex Ketu, Lagos, hired, transferred and transported Oluwatosin, for her to be engaged in forced labour in Oman.

 

On her part, Abosede Ademehintoye, was alleged to have on June 2, 2019, aided and abated her husband to escape from the NAPTIP’s custody, located at 165B Oba Ladejobi Street, G.R.A, Ikeja. She was also alleged to have unlawfully assaulted a NAPTIP official, Olamide Foyinsola, while on official duty.

 

The offences were said to have contravened Sections 24, 22(a), 28(1) and 32(2) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015 and punishable under same section of the Act.

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