From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Edo State Commander, Benin Zonal office of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Bar. Nduka Nwanene, yesterday, said that the agency has arrested 28 traffickers and rescued 69 victims in Edo, Delta and Bayelsa between January and July this year.
Nwanene said this in Benin while speaking with reporters on the 2022 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons with the theme ‘Use and Abuse of Technology”, celebrated globally on July 30
“Between January and July 28, we arrested 28 traffickers, rescued 69 victims and rehabilitated 15. We also recorded 110 reported cases of human trafficking in Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states under the zone”
He also disclosed that within the period, the agency has secured conviction of four persons while 57 cases are all ongoing in various courts.
He decried that traffickers are using technology now to recruiting victims online through dating sites, social media platform, fake advertisement, fake scholarship and non-existing football clubs among others.
He said despite the negative effect, technology has also given the victims and the public the opportunity to report cases of human trafficking, easy identification of victims and assist in investigation and prosecution of traffickers among others.
He maintained that internal trafficking (state and inter-state) is on the high side in Nigeria compared to external trafficking , adding that adding that because publicity is more on external trafficking (international) and under play the internal trafficking
“80 percent of trafficking in Nigeria are state and inter-states while about 20 percent are international (country to country). These inter-state trafficking affects our homes, communities and neighborhood all hands must be on deck to address the scourge,” he said.
He said in addressing the scourge of online trafficking, NAPTIP has partnered Facebook and National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children(NCMEC) to enhance tracing and investigating cases relating to online child abuse human trafficking and other related crimes.
He said due to the increase in state and inter-state trafficking, buying and selling of children and cryptic pregnancies, NAPTIP is partnering with Facebook and NCMEC to set up Amber alert Nigeria whereby Facebook set alert to targeted Facebook community to help find missing children in Nigeria.