TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia –The Monrovia City Court has sent to jail five women for allegedly trafficking 14 Liberian children to Burkin Faso as Garmah Never Lomo reports.
On Friday, April 13, 2025, an alleged Human Trafficking case unfolded involving 14 children who were travelling along with the other four women when they were arrested by the Liberia Immigration Service at the Redlight Market while trying to leave the country.
The minors are seven males and seven females, ranging from 11 months to eight years old; namely, Julia Doko, (female, age: 2yrs), Wellington Fofana (male, age 11yrs), Sedia Dukuly, (female, age: 3yrs), Prince Duckuly, male, age 4yrs), Varney Dukuly (male, age: 5yrs), Bendu Dukuly (female, age: 4yrs), Halimata Dukuly (female, age:8yrs), Bill Mulbah (male, age: 6yrs), Sampson Momo, (male, age 1yr), Odella A. Sackor (female, age:2yrs four 4 months) (11)Prayer Blaye, (female age: 5yrs), Hawa Rejoice Blaye, (female age; 2yrs ), Josephine Dukuly (female age; 11months) and Marie Bryant (female age; 7yrs) who were found in custody of five women.
The defendants in person are Halimatu Daramy in custody of eight children, Fanta Doe in custody of two children, Hawa kamara, in custody of one child, Henrietta Beaye in custody of three children and Grace H. Sesay.
During police investigation with the five defendants, Halimatu Daramy, Hereitta Beaye, Grace H. Sesay, Hawa Kamara, Famata Doe) admitted to the police that they along with the fourteen children were going to Burkina Faso for the IOM Resettlement Package. According to the defendants, they first went to Mali .But they were not successful and they were brought back to Liberia in March 2025 without benefits and they owed people a lot of money, so they decided to take children of their relatives with their own on the trip.
Based upon the situation, an investigation was conducted and the following facts were established that the five defendants had previously gone to Mali in March 2025 to have gotten the IOM Resettlement Package where they were not successful.
The investigation alleged that four of the defendants were influenced and encouraged by Halamatu Daramy to take such a risky journey with the minor children.
According to police charge sheet, the defendants were traveling with fourteen (14) Children (7males and 7 females) ranging from the age of 11 months to 8 years.
The charge sheet alleged that Defendant Halamatu Daramy has eight of the children of whom seven of those children were not her biological children, grandchildren, sister children, and daughter children.
The investigation also established that Defendant Famata Doe has two children on the trip, one biological and the other sister’s daughter; while, Defendant Hawa Kamara on the trip has her two years old daughter.
Also, Defendant Hereitta Beaye has on the trip three children of whom were not her biological children (sister children and Grandson), while Grace H. Sesay did not have any child on the trip but Halamatu Daramie gave to her three of eight children she was traveling with.
These five defendants were rescued from Mali and brought back to Liberia, where they received fifty 50,000LD through the Ministry of Gender and a Church Organization to get back home which they refused to do.
According to the investigation the five defendants were not satisfied with the amount received, but decided to take another trip to Burkina Faso with fourteen children out of whom most of the children are not their biological children.
The five women, according to police charge sheet, knowingly, purposely and willfully took, these minor children to risk and endanger their lives into the sub-Saharan where there reports of war and other bandit activities are ongoing in the name of getting IOM Resettlement package based on the number of children you will have.
The investigation claimed that, it could not have established child Trafficking but resolved to charge the five women to include Halamatu Daramie, Famata Doe, Hereitta Beaye, Hawa Kamara and Grace H. Sesay with the commissioned of the crimes “Endangering Welfare of the children in violation of section 16.4 of the Penal Law of Liberia.