A food canteen operator, Bilikisu Ganiyu of Alagbade Area, Ilorin who allegedly hired a 9-year-old girl as a canteen maid cum domestic assistant has been dragged before an Ilorin Magistrate Court.

The accused was said to have engaged, Medinat Abass in forced labour as well as deprived her of acquiring the mandatory universal basic education.

Police from the state Human Trafficking Unit, 'A' Division, Ilorin went for the accused following a tip off by a sympathizer who noticed the deplorable condition of the victim.

According to the complainants, the victim who suffers from a severe infection on one of her right fingers. “without medical treatment, was being made to carry out hard domestic chores at the canteen. She complained further that the victim was neither sent for any skill acquisition nor given the basic education.

Consequently, the accused was indicted before the court on two count charge of hiring a child fro a purpose contrary to the law and child labour, contrary to section 30 (2) R.D and 28 (1) A.B of the Kwara State Child Right Laws 2006. The offences are punishable under the same law.

The prosecutor, Corporal Sanni Abdullahi objected to the bail of the accused on the ground that the offence is not ordinarily bailable. He urged the court to command the accused at the Federal Prison, Oke-Kura, Ilorin pending the outcome of on going investigation into the case.

However, Magistrate Mary Abikoye was inclined to grant the accused bail as earlier applied for by Barrister Ismail Yusuf who stood for the accused.

Consequently, the assured was released on bail at the sum of N 100,000 and two sureties, one of who must be a member of the accused family while the other should be a civil servant on level 7 or above.

The matter will continue for further mention on 6th June, 2012.

By Deborah Babalola (The Herald)