UPDATE: MINISTRY, NAPTIP FIRM PLANS TO REHABILITATE GIRLS TRAFFICKED TO GHANA

Read Time:2 Minute, 46 Second

With the announcement of a partnership to rehabilitate ten Nigerian girls who were victims of human trafficking and were recently rescued in Ghana, the Federal Government, working through the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has made significant progress in the fight against human trafficking.

Plans for the long-term rehabilitation of the victims and others have already been finalized with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and NAPTIP, according to a statement released on Monday by the organization’s communications officer, Adekoye Vincent.

According to the statement, the partnership was one of the outcomes of the visit of the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, to the headquarters of NAPTIP on Monday. The visit followed viral reports of the trafficking of some Nigerian girls to Ghana for sexual exploitation.

Speaking with Journalists after the meeting, the Director General of NAPTIP, Prof. Fatima Waziri–Azi, Ph.D, thanked the minister for the visit and her support towards to sustained fight against human trafficking, adding that the agency had been proactive, strategic, and deliberate in carrying out its mandates, leading to the conviction of 29 human traffickers from January 2024 till date, 67 traffickers in 2023, 80 in 2022, and a total of 670 human trafficking convictions since the inception of the Agency, including the rescue of over 23,000 victims.

Prof. Fatima Waziri–Azi said, “Even though the Government has a major role in tackling human trafficking, communities and families have an even greater role in tackling these issues. Regarding the girls in Ghana, we are in touch with the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Unit. The girls have been rescued and are safe. The perpetrator has been arrested, and I am also in contact with Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM). I am very delighted by the Honourable Minister’s visit this morning. From our conversation, we will approach this issue more strategically, in terms of prevention. Prevention is better than cure.”

She added, “I also want to emphasise to parents and young people, that there is no free lunch anywhere. If it is free, then, you are definitely the product. We know that everyone desires a better life, but wanting a better life does not mean you should not be discerning. When somebody comes and offers you Eldorado, please ask questions.”

Speaking also, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, commended NAPTIP for its visible impact in tackling human trafficking in Nigeria, and promised to join hands with the agency for sustained rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking through the existing empowerment scheme that has been established by the ministry.

The minister said, “I came here to see my sister concerning the issue of the Nigerian girls trafficked to Ghana. We will join hands with NAPTIP to empower them, give them skills or send them to school”.

The minister also disclosed plans to embark on massive advocacy among diverse stakeholders, including operators of commercial transport companies, the Aviation Sector, the Marine Sector, and a cross-section of parents across the country.

She added that parents and transport operators will be held responsible if found culpable in the trafficking of children.

She solicited the support and cooperation of all Nigerians to tackle the issues of human trafficking in the Country.