We have rescued 21,181 victims of human trafficking in 20 years – NAPTIP

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP)  says  it has  rescued and received 21,181 victims of human trafficking in the past 20 years.

The Director General of NAPTIP, Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, made this known while defending the agency’s budget before the Senate Committee on Social Duties for the defence of the 2024 budget.

She said services that NAPTIP provides include legal support,  medical support, rehabilitation and reintegration support and family tracing and reunion of rescued victims.

Waziri-Azi said: “From January to November 2023, we have already rescued and received 2,200 victims.

“Our shelter in Lagos has so far received the highest the highest number of victims, followed by Katsina because of the borders, Kano and FCT shelters”.

The NAPTIP DG stated: “So in twenty years, NAPTIP has secured the conviction of 639 convictions and counting, and on March 8, for the first time in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Interpol, the Italian government, a high profile trafficker Charity Omoye was extradited to Italy to serve her 13 years sentence.

“In 2022, the agency received 1,462 human trafficking complaints which was plus 31.9 per cent from the number received in 2021.

“This has caused a serious strain on our human and financial resources and the challenges confronting the organization are enormous.”