By Oluwatosin Maliki
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has revealed that a total of 21,181 victims of human trafficking have been rescued over the past 20 years.
This was disclosed by the Director General of NAPTIP, Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, when she appeared before yjr Senate Committee on Social Duties for the defence of the 2024 budget.
Also, she explained that the agency would also provide support to victims as far as they need it, noting that the process takes time and a lot of money.
Furthermore, she stated that NAPTIP makes sure that all victims are safe by providing them with legal support medical support, rehabilitation and reintegration support and family tracing and reunion of rescued victims.
Waziri-Azi stated that in 2022, “NAPTIP rescued and received 2, 748 victims, which was 1,274 more victims that were rescued in 2022″.
“From January to November 2023, we have already rescued and received 2,200 victims”.
She noted, “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”.
In 2021 and 2022, Waziri-Azi said the agency recorded Benue, as the state with highest number of rescued victims, followed by Ondo, Edo, Delta Kano and Imo States.
Speaking further, she told the committee that for the first time, in several operations, the agency successfully secured the conviction of a Lebanese foreign national, who was involved in trafficking and exploiting Nigerian girls.
The NAPTIP DG noted, “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.”
However, she said as a result of the enhanced visibility and activities of the organisation, it has been challenged, stressing that the number of complaints on human trafficking have increased.
According to her, “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.”
While speaking on the agency’s budget, Waziri-Azi explained that NAPTIP 2023 budget has appropriated a total of N2 billion based on the envelope to the organisation, adding that N3 billion was being projected as total revenue for the organisation in 2024.
Additionally, the Chairman of the committee, Senator Shehu Kaka, stated that the committee would pay an oversight visit to the offices of NAPTIP for an on-the-spot assessment of its activities.