A Nigerian couple have been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment each for attempting to sell their one-year-old son for exploitation in Cross River State.
The couple, identified as 28-year-old Emmanuel Okechukwu Ogbodo and 22-year-old Peace Ufeabuchi Nnamonu, were convicted by the Federal High Court in Calabar after pleading guilty to conspiring to traffic their child and attempting to sell him.
The convicts were sentenced on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, after being arraigned on November 3, 2026, on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and attempted child trafficking.
The charges were filed under Sections 27 and 29 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
Delivering judgment, Justice Rosemary Dugbo Oghoghorie sentenced each defendant to five years’ imprisonment for conspiracy and two and a half years for attempted child trafficking.
However, the court ordered that the sentences should run concurrently, meaning both parents will spend five years in prison rather than serve the terms separately.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), which announced the conviction in statements shared on its Facebook and X accounts, said the jail terms would take effect from the date of the couple’s arrest.
The conviction has drawn attention to the disturbing reality of child trafficking, particularly the exploitation of children by people expected to protect them.
NAPTIP condemned the couple’s actions and reaffirmed its commitment to prosecuting human trafficking offences and protecting vulnerable persons.
The agency also urged members of the public to report suspected cases of child trafficking to the appropriate authorities.
Kehinde Ayanboade
Kehinde Ayanboade is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Naija Metro News, with over eight years of experience covering Nigerian politics, crime, legislative proceedings and metropolitan affairs.
