The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has said it rescued over 21,181 victims of human trafficking in the last 20 years.
Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, the Director General of NAPTIP, stated as much when she testified in front of the Senate Committee on Social Duties in support of the 2024 budget.
She acknowledged that the procedure took a lot of time and money, but that the organization would make an effort to support victims for as long as they needed it.
She clarified that victims can receive assistance with legal matters, medical needs, rehabilitation, and reintegration through NAPTIP.
Waziri-Azi stated that in 2022, “NAPTIP rescued and received 2, 748 victims, which was 1,274 more victims that were rescued in 2022.”
She added, “From January to November 2023, we have already rescued and received 2,200 victims.
“Our shelter in Lagos has so far received the highest number of victims, followed by Katsina because of the borders, Kano and FCT shelters.”
She said ” in 2021 and 2022, Benue State had the highest number of rescued victims, followed by Ondo, Edo, Delta Kano and Imo states.
She added, “As part of our prosecuting mandate, last year, we secured 80 convictions, which was the highest in any single year since inception.
“Since this year began, we have already secured 63 convictions and counting, including the conviction of a high-level trafficker in Benin that was responsible for trafficking 12 girls to Belgium for human trafficking and sexual exploitation.”
She also told the committee that for the first time, the agency secured the conviction of a Lebanese, who was involved in trafficking and abusing Nigerian girls.
The NAPTIP DG noted, “So in 20 years, NAPTIP has secured 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.”
She added, “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.”
According to her, the organization was allocated a total of N2 billion in the NAPTIP 2023 budget, although the organization’s expected income for 2024 was N3 billion.
She claimed that NAPTIP’s operational activities are dependent on donor organizations, which is not sustainable.
The committee will conduct an oversight visit to NAPTIP’s offices in order to conduct a firsthand evaluation of the organization’s operations, according to Senator Shehu Kaka, the committee’s chairman.
He added, “Effort would be made in the areas of budgetary allocation to the organisation given the vantage role it played in the society.”
