The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons on Tuesday said it had charged a 45-year-old Director of Finance in the Sokoto State Urban and Regional Planning Board, Ahmed Yahaya, and two other workers of the board, to court for alleged procurement and sexual exploitation of a 12-year-old female sachet water seller.

The NAPTIP Press Officer, Mr. Vincent Adekoye, in a statement, identified the two other suspects as the Sokoto State Internal Auditor, Mr. Ibrahim Isah, 46; and the Special Assistant to the Director of Finance, Mr Habibu Abdullahi, 40.

According to him, the suspects have been charged to the Federal High Court, Sokoto, in a case with charge number FHC/7c/2020, by the Sokoto Zonal Command of NAPTIP.

He, however, said the suit had not yet been assigned to a judge.

Adekoye said details of the case revealed that sometime in May 2019, the victim went to the office of the suspects to seek financial assistance.

He added that the suspects allegedly took advantage of the vulnerability of the girl and allegedly had illicit sex with her at different times inside their offices.

The spokesman noted that the last person that molested the victim was Abdullahi, who, after knowing that his boss was not around, allegedly lured her inside the office and molested her, giving her N300 thereafter.

He stated that the suspects were arrested by the agency about three weeks ago for the alleged offences, after the case was referred to the agency by the National Human Rights Commission, Sokoto State office.

The court charges partly read, “That you, Ibrahim Isah, of 7, Aliero Road, Runjin Sambo, Sokoto North Local Government Area of Sokoto State, sometime in May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court procured one (name withheld) 12 years old in your office at Sokoto Urban and Regional Planning Board.

“You subjected her to sexual exploitation with yourself, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 16(1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.

“That you, Habibu Abdullahi, 40 years old, of  Bado, Hanya Dan Fari, Wammako  LGA of Sokoto State,  sometime in May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, procured one (name withheld) 12 years old, in your office at Sokoto Urban and Regional Planning Board. You subjected her to sexual exploitation with yourself, thereby commiting an offence punishable under Section 16(1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.”