NAPTIP Tackles Rising Child Trafficking In South East
BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM – The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has condemned the rising cases of child trafficking in the South East, warning that the ugly development is a crime against the region.
This is as the South East Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Mrs Nneka Ajie urges vigilance given that child traffickers have devised new methods of perpetrating the evil machinations in the zone.
Ajie said it was regrettable that despite the Agency’s conscious efforts to address the menace, incidences of child trafficking, illegal migration and associated crimes were still on the rise.
She said most unfortunate is the fact that the child traffickers have found a way to perpetuate the evil act in cohort with either parents, relations of their victims or the victims themselves.
However, the Zonal Commander assured that the Agency is not deterred by the unfortunate situation given its resolve to reduce the menace to the barest minimum through the instrumentality of its Task Force on Human Trafficking.
According to her, the Task Force had been inaugurated in Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu, adding that Abia and Imo would soon have theirs inaugurated.
She said the Task Force aimed at currying more involvement by the State governments and their buying into NAPTIP’s programmes through prevention, policy partnership and prosecution of offenders.
The Commander, who disclosed that the Task Force in the three states recently held its coordination meeting aimed at developing a suitable work plan for the respective states and the region, stressed the need for a coordinated approach to eradicate the menace in the area.
However, she admitted that “A lot still needs to be done. Incidences of child trafficking are growing by the day because the root causes have not been addressed.
“We need to do more as the traffickers have devised new means of getting their victims. We need to intensify the fight at the national, state and community levels,” she said.
Ajie said NAPTIP under the watch of its Director-General, Mrs Fatima Waziri, had intensified efforts at curbing the menace, adding; “Very soon, there will not be a hiding place for child traffickers” – With NAN reports
