NAPTIP seeks partnership to aid victims

A CALL has been made by the   National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other related Matters (NAPTIP) to corporate bodies and private individuals to partner with it in its quest to rehabilitate victims of human trafficking in the country.

Executive Secretary of the agency, Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, made this call yesterday in Benin City, Edo State capital, during the second round of training for some survivors of human trafficking.

The agency last year, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), rescued 104 Nigerian girls involved in prostitution in Mali.

The rescued girls were later sent by the agency to Idia Renaissance Skills Acquisition Centre, Benin City, for six months for skills acquisition.   This second phase of the training, she said, is aimed at grooming them on how to manage their businesses and be productive. The programme was organised in collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).

Jedy-Agba, who was represented by the Director, Counselling and Rehabilitation Department of the Agency (C&R), Mrs. Lillian Oguejiofor, said NAPTIP was passionate about the future of Nigerian youths and will continue to do everything possible to protect them.

“If you can recall, towards the end of last year, NAPTIP evacuated about 104 Nigeria girls from the sex industry in Mali. These girls were trapped in prostitution market after being trafficked to the North African country.

“After the evacuation, the executive secretary, who is so concerned about the plight of these girls, decided to roll out a comprehensive empowerment package for them. This scheme entails re-uniting with their families, training in various skills acquisition of their choices, empowerment with items that will enable them stand and run business on their own and lastly, follow-up”, she added.