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Nigeria: NAPTIP Secures 10 Convictions
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This Day (Lagos)
15 May 2008
Posted to the web 15 May 2008
Damilola Oyedele
Abuja
Intensified efforts aimed at stopping human trafficking in Nigeria have continued to yield positive results as the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) has secured convictions of ten persons for human trafficking offences from October 2007 to May 2008.
More convictions are also likely to be secured before the end of this year going by the evidences being presented by NAPTIP's Department of Prosecution, a move which would serve as deterrent to traffickers.
This was disclosed at NAPTIP's 12th National Stakeholders Consultative Forum in Abuja yesterday where it was also disclosed that the agency lost three cases in court. Executive Secretary of NAPTIP, Mrs Carol Ndaguba in her address said renewed vigour by the agency has helped in public enlightenment, but the anti- trafficking war, according to her is far from over, because traffickers devise new means to escape being nabbed.
"There is a need to widen the scope of campaigns to effectively suppress and eradicate the evil activities of human traffickers especially at the grassroots level where poverty is more prevalent and the people are more vulnerable," she said." There remains an over-whelming amount of work to be done in the areas of re-strategizing, bilateral and multi lateral cooperation, care of victims, their protection, rehabilitation and reintegration into the society, witness protection and above all creating adequate public awareness through massive enlightenment campaigns."
According to her, between N2billion and N3billion is needed by the agency to carry out its duties effectively.
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NAPTIP's Director of Investigation, Muhammad Babandede while presenting an update on the agency's activities lamented that Edo state still remains the highest state with the number of trafficked persons usually girls between the ages of 18-27 years. He commended the government of Netherlands for collaborating with the agency on criminal matters relating to trafficking in persons.One of the major obstacles to securing convictions of traffickers, he said, is the refusal of the victims or their relatives to testify in court for the fear of being harmed by the 'suspects's people.
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