BLESSING TOYIN OMOKUWAJO V. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

JOHN AFOLABI FABIYI, J.S.C. (Delivering the Leading Judgment): This is an appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division (court below) delivered on 10th November, 2010. Therein, the conviction of the appellant by the Federal High Court, Sokoto (trial court) for offences under Sections 15(a) and 16 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003 (as amended) was affirmed. The court below, in affirming the conviction of the appellant, also varied her sentence, suo motu, by increasing it from two years in respect of each count to run concurrently from the date of the appellant's arrest as ordered by the trial court to 7 and 5 years respectively, also to run concurrently from the date of the appellant's arrest which was on 21/02/2010.

The facts leading to this appeal are not in dispute. The appellant was arrested by Officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (Anti-Human Trafficking Unit) on February 21, 2010 at Yauri in Kebbi…