Peace Asukwo, 38, was on Friday, arraigned before a Lagos Federal High Court by National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for allegedly using underage girls for prostitution.
The defendant was arraigned before vacation judge, Justice Akintayo Aluko.
NAPTIP lawyer, Becky Jibo, told the court that Peace Asukwo was arrested between March and June 2023, at Laredo Motel, situated at Totomu Village, a border town between Lagos and Ogun States, where she harboured and used the underage girls for prostitution.
Jibo told the court that Peace Asukwo’s acts contravened Section 15(b) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, and were punishable under the same Section of the Act.
However, Peace Asukwo denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges by NAPTIP.
Following her not-guilty plea, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant till the determination of the charge.
The defendant’s lawyer, Nojeem Azeez, told the court that he was yet to file his client’s bail application. He therefore asked for a short date, to enable him to file the bail application.
With the lawyer’s pleading, Justice Aluko adjourned the matter till September 12, for the hearing of her bail application.
