A Kano State High Court has sentenced six individuals to a combined 120 years in prison for their roles in the abduction and trafficking of young children, concluding a high-profile case that has spanned six years and garnered nationwide attention.
The convicted individuals—Mercy Paul, Ebere Ogbono, Emmanuel Igwe, Loise Duru, Monica Oracha, and Chinelo Ifedigwe—were found guilty of being part of a criminal syndicate that abducted children under the age of 10.
The children, taken from Kano, were trafficked and sold in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Zuwaira Yusuf declared all six defendants guilty on multiple counts, including abduction, concealment, aiding and abetting, and child trafficking. They were sentenced to varying prison terms, all without the option of a fine.
According to the court’s ruling, Mercy Paul received the longest sentence—55 years in prison—while Ebere Ogbono was handed 41 years. Emmanuel Igwe and Chinelo Ifedigwe were each sentenced to 9 years, Loise Duru to 6 years, and Monica Oracha to 5 years.
The group’s leader, Paul Onwe, had previously pleaded guilty to 38 counts in 2021 and was sentenced to 104 years in prison.Unlike Onwe, the six co-defendants denied the charges and underwent a full trial that lasted several years.
Their arrest in 2019 followed a major investigation that exposed a child trafficking network, sparking national outrage and renewed calls for stronger child protection laws in Nigeria.
