NAPTIP rescues over 20,000 victims in 22 years

By Jethro Ibileke

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), says it has secured more than 600 convictions and rescued over 20,000 victims of human trafficking since  2003.

The Benin Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Mr Ganiu Aganran, disclosed this on Monday in Benin, at the opening of a two-day awareness workshop for law enforcement agencies in Edo State.

The event was organised by the Committee for the Support of Dignity of Women (COSUDOW), in collaboration with NAPTIP, to strengthen the capacity of security personnel to combat trafficking in persons (TIP).

“NAPTIP has worked tirelessly to bring traffickers to justice and support survivors,” he said.

The Zonal Commander identified prevention, prosecution, protection, partnership and policies as the 5Ps approach adopted by the agency to tackle the menace.

“NAPTIP’s approach combines intelligence-driven investigations, inter-agency collaboration, and victim support services to combat trafficking effectively,” he added.

He regretted that Edo remained one of Nigeria’s most affected regions due to poverty, unemployment, lack of education, and weak law enforcement, among others.

Speaking on the aims of the said workshop, Prof. Eric Okojie, said the Nigeria Conference of Women Religious (NCWR) was concerned about the exploitation of Nigerian women and girls abroad.

As a result of this, he said the women conference felt a strong need to fight to liberate the daughters of Africa from the shackles of traffickers.

Prof. Okojie noted that the majority of trafficked victims were women, usually sexually exploited in their desire for greener pastures by their traffickers.

“In 2020, The United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimated that 67 percent of people trafficked for sexual exploitation are women while 46 per cent of trafficking victims are women too,” he said.

He commended the women group for ensuring that liberated young girls and women become empowered, active, valued and protected as well as risen above cultural nuances that mitigate against their dignity.

Earlier in her welcome remarks, the National Coordinator of COSDOW, Sr. Justina Odunukwe, urged participants at the workshop to actively engage in discussions and collaborate towards solutions that could make a lasting impact.

She emphasised that the workshop was a call to action, an opportunity to reaffirm collective responsibility to eradicate human trafficking and irregular migration.

According to her, this will build a safer society where people can thrive without seeking dangerous routes for survival.