The court, in a judgement delivered at the weekend, found the convicts guilty of moving their victims from Warri to Mali for the purpose of engaging them in prostitution.
Justice M. Shitu Abubakar described the offence as serious and punishable for 10 years imprisonment.
But he sentenced the convicts to five years imprisonment each with an option of fine of N100, 000 each.
The judge said the liberal sentence was in recognition of the fact that the convicts had spent about three years in custody, having been arrested on May 3, 2010 and the plea by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other related Matters (NAPTIP).
National Mirror learnt that the judgement was delivered one week after one Nasser Juliet from Esan North Local Government Area of Edo State, was sentenced to two-year jail term with no option of fine for similar offence.
Counsel to the three convicted persons, Mr. S.O. Ebiefanade, had in his final submission pleaded for leniency on the ground that the convicts have learnt their lessons during their incarceration.
The lead prosecution counsel for NAPTIP, Mrs. Victoria Oburoh, asked the presiding judge to exercise discretion based on the facts before him in delivering judgment.
Ehidiamen, 31, hails from Esan South Local Government area of Edo State, while Kingsley Uzoma, 41, is an indigene of Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State.
The third, Favour, 46, also hails from Esan South Local Government Area of Edo State.
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