Justice Phoeba Ayua of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has sentenced a 35-year-old woman, Amadi Joy Ngozi, to three years imprisonment for human trafficking.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in a statement on Thursday, January 19, 2023, said Amadi was convicted on a two-count charge of conspiracy and trafficking in person.

Count one reads: Promoting foreign travels to a victim from Port Harcourt to Libya for the purpose of prostitution contrary to section 18 of the Trafficking in Persons Enforcement and Administration Act 2015.

Count 2 reads: Recruitment of a victim from Port Harcourt to Libya by means of fraud for the purpose of the victims exploitation contrary to section 13(2) (b) of the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition and Administration Act 2015.

On Count 1, the convict was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment or option of a fine of five hundred thousand naira (N500,000). On Count 2 – 1 year imprisonment.

The court also awarded compensation to the victim – the sum of five hundred thousand naira to be paid by the convict.

The charge was filed on the 17th of January 2022.

Justice E. I. Mark of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Friday sentenced one Henry Frimenjibo to four years imprisonment for illegal dealing in petroleum products.

 He was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a two-count charge of conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products.

In his judgment, Justice Mark sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment on each count.

The sentences are to run concurrently.

The judge, however, gave the convict an option of N750,000 fine on each of the two counts.

Fire has gutted an illegal crude oil refining site at the Rumuji-Ibaa river in Emuoha Local Government area of Rivers State, killing at least four persons.

Reports say that an unspecified number of people also sustained serious degree burns.

An eyewitness, who gave his name as Onyema Okoro told journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, that residents of the area woke up to see a huge flame on the river, with a thick black smoke billowing into the atmosphere.

“The fire was even entering the bush. When the fire came down we saw a boat on fire. The people that were inside, no one was seen coming out.

“People were also scared going close to the place. Later when people got there, they found out it was four persons that were burnt,” he added.

According to Okoro, seven persons who survived but sustained serious burns were rushed into the villages for treatment.

Some people that the fire touched ran into the bush. The ones they could rescue they took them to the village. But all the chemist shops there said they cannot treat that kind of fire burns.

“So, I don’t know what happened to them again. But for the ones that died, they buried them there because they said according to tradition when people die like that they don’t take them home” he stated.

He also said people from the village were seen buying raw eggs which he said would be used to help in the treatment of the survivors in the inferno.

The spokesman of the State police command, Nnamdi Omoni, said he was yet to get a report of the incident.