A Benin High Court has heard how a Belgium court sentenced 12 Nigerians including three siblings to various terms in prison for recruiting and trafficking girls to Belgium for prostitution and exploitation.

Belgium’s Chief Inspector, First Detective Hendriks Willem, disclosed this to a Benin High Court while testifying against Felicia Osagbovo (62) who is standing trial over alleged recruiting and trafficking girls to Belgium for prostitution and exploitation.

Osagbovo is the mother of the three siblings earlier convicted in Belgium. She was earlier arraigned by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on a 24-count charge bordering on recruiting and organising travelling for girls for prostitution in Belgium contrary to Section 13 (14)c of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act.

Willem said the Belgian government had already convicted 12 of her collaborators, including the suspect’s three children, after a thorough investigation.

He disclosed that the suspects convicted were Iyare Evelyn, who was sentenced to 40 months with a fine of €12,000; John Gladys, five years with a €47,000 fine; James Omoh Kate, four years with a €12,000 fine; Okoduwa Rachael, five years with a €24,000 fine; Ataba Ibrahim, 12 months with a €12,000 fine; and Azemy Alex, 12 months with a €6,0000 fine.

Others were Aigbe Egberanmww, six years with 108,000 fine; Idehen constance, 45 months with €48,000 fine; Idehen Tina, 40 months with €12,000 fine; Idemudia Oscar, five years with 108,0000 fine, Osagbovo Nath, five years with €108,000 fine and Daniel, five years with €48,000 fine.

He further said that during investigation the victims told the investigators that the suspect (Felicia) recruited them in Nigeria for her children in Luxemburg and Brussel in Belgium, adding that the suspect’s children who had been convicted in Belgium also confessed that Felicia was recruiting girls in Nigeria for them.

Counsel to the suspect, O. I. Asemota, sought adjournment to enable him to prepare his defence.

The Judge, Justice Geraldine Ono Imadegbelo, adjourned the case to June 14.