The Director of Finance, Sokoto State Urban and Regional Planning Board, Ahmed Yahaya and two other staff of the Board have been charged to court by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for allegedly having sex in the office with a minor.
The case against Ahmed Yahaya, Mr Ibrahim Isah, the state Internal Auditor and Mr Habibu Abdullahi, the Special Assistant to the Finance Director was referred to NAPTIP by the National Human Rights Commission, Sokoto State Office.
NAPTIP's Press Officer, Mr Adekoye Vincent said the 12-year-old (name withheld) who sold pure water within the jurisdiction of the offices of the suspects, only came to them for financial assistance some time in May 2019. According to Vincent, they however took advantage of the little girl right inside their offices, one after the other.
Adekoye said;
“It would be recalled that operatives of NAPTIP arrested the three suspects namely Yahaya, 45, who is the Director of Finance, Ibrahim Isah 46, who is the Sokoto State Internal Auditor, and Habibu Abdullahi 40, who is the Special Assistant to the Director of Finance, about three weeks ago, for the alleged offence. The case was referred to the Agency by the National Human Rights Commission, Sokoto State Office after which the Agency swooped on the suspects.”
It was gathered that Mr Habibu Abdullahi, the Special Assistant to the Finance Director lured the girl to his office when his boss was not around. He reportedly gave her N300 after taking his turn.
They were all slammed with seven-count charge bordering on sexual exploitation, as revealed in a charge sheet dated Febeuary 17.
The charge reads in part:
“ That you Ibrahim Isah, 46 years old, of No. 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 Maryam in your office at Sokoto Urban and Regional Planning Board (S.U.R.P.B.), you subjected her to sexual exploitation with yourself and thereby committed 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 Local Government Area of Sokoto State, sometime in May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, procured Maryam in your office at Sokoto Urban and Regional Planning Board (S.U.R.P.B.), you subjected her to sexual exploitation with yourself and thereby commit an offence punishable under Section 16(1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
"That you Ahmad Yahaya, 45 years old of No. 3 Gwiwa Tanki Gwiwa Low Cost Housing Estate, Wammako Local Government Area of Sokoto State sometime in May 2019,within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court procured Maryam in your office at Sokoto Urban and Regional Planning Board (S.U.R.P.B.), you subjected her to sexual exploitation with yourself and thereby commit an offence punishable under Section 16(1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.”
