Human trafficking: FG to prosecute parents, transporters of victims
The Federal Government says it will henceforth prosecute parents as well as transporters of victims of human trafficking with a view to serving as deterrent to would-be perpetrators
Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister (Mrs) Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye made the disclosure today when she paid a courtesy visit to the Director-General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) of Nigeria, Fatima Waziri-Azi in her office in Abuja
She described the increasing rate of parental involvement in trafficking as alarming, noting that if caught, the perpetrators will face the wrath of the law
Kennedy-Ohanenye explained that before most children are trafficked, negotiations are usually done by parents and the traffickers, after which transport systems are contracted to move them out.
*Henceforth, both the parents, traffickers and the transporter, be it through air, land or sea, will be fished out and punished for the various roles they played*
Kennedy-Ohanenye observed, “our children deserve to be loved and cared for, not traded with, the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Administration is determined to rid our society of such heinous crimes which contravene not only our culture as Africans but the world’s at large.”
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She called on the Agency to partner with the Ministry on adequate information on the return of the Nigerian girls abducted to Ghana for prostitution and other related cases, assuring that the Ministry which is already partnering with the Open University of Nigeria for subsidized tuition fees will not only support their academic pursuits but also onboard them on its platform to enable them benefit from all available grants and privileges that are accessible through its e-commerce market portal.
Responding, the Director-General,
National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) of Nigeria, Fatima Waziri-Azi, assured that the girls have been rescued and their abductors arrested, noting that they will soon arrive the country for rehabilitation and integration into the society
She stated that a more systematic approach will be deployed by the Agency in collaboration with the Ministry to forestall future occurrences.
Waziri- Azi also called on parents to be discerning and shun any attempt to lure their children into prostitution, adding that there is no free lunch anywhere in the world.
The Minister had earlier paid a courtesy visit on the Ghanian High Commission to Nigeria to ascertain an up-to-date information on the whereabouts of the girls shown on the trending viral video with a view to ensuring their safe return back to Nigeria.
Signed
Mrs. Grace Njoku
Head, Information and Press Relations
June 10, 2024
