By Deborah Coker
Benin – The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), on Tuesday in Benin, inaugurated state-of-the arts operational facility donated by the British Government to the Benin Zonal Command of the Agency.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the gifted facilities comprised victim’s care centre, interrogation rooms and a reception hall.
In her remarks during the inauguration, Mrs Julie Okah- Donli, Director General, of the Agency commended the British Government’s commitment in fighting prevention of human trafficking with additional huge financial resources .
Okah-Donli, who was represented by Mr Godwin Morka, Director, Research and Programmes, NAPTIP Headquarters, Abuja, said that this commitment was clearly demonstrated by the “Not For Sale Campaign” project.
She noted that the British Government has been committed to the partnership with the agency in tackling the incidences of human trafficking from the roots.
She said the gesture was a clarion call on other nations to change their perspective about human trafficking and double their commitments towards total eradication of the menace in Nigeria and across the globe.
“Let us collectively see human trafficking as an evil rain that spares no one. Human trafficking remains a present day danger threatening the collective global security.
“Let us shift away from the blame game approach and join hands to root out human trafficking across the world”, she said.
She gave assurance that 2020 would be desperately hot for human traffickers across the nation.
“As part of our strategic preventive approach, we concluded plans for the establishment and inauguration of task forces against human trafficking in the remaining States of the federation.
“Our awareness creation shall take another dimension in that we shall be invading villages, communities and other settlement in the remote endemic areas across the country”, Okah-Donli further said.
She also said that NAPTIP would increase its engagement with other sister law enforcement agencies to strengthen its inter-agency collaboration.
Earlier, Mrs Ijeoma Uduak, the Zonal Commander, Benin zonal command, said that the ongoing partnership between the British Government and the country had birthed ground breaking projects, that had played significant roles in the strides achieved by the agency in recent times.
Uduak said that the agency being the country’s focal point for tackling the menace of human trafficking, had received both national and international support targeted at suppressing the activities of organised crime groups.
She disclosed that the Benin Zonal command in the past months had received numerous support in staff training, office renovation, IT equipment, provision of generating set, vehicles as well as welfare scheme for victims.
She explained that all these were geared towards building the agency’s capacity to fully achieve its mandate.
Meanwhile, Mrs Harriet Thompson, Deputy High Commissioner, British High Commission, Lagos said that in spite of the stop to slave trade several years ago, many Nigerians were still subject to human trafficking.
She said that the British Government would replicate the gesture in Lagos and Kano, adding that the facility was important to safeguard the victims.
Similarly, Mrs Vanessa Fleming, the Joint Border Task Force (JBTF), team leader, said that the job being carried out by NAPTIP was inspiring, adding that the facility would make staff more passionate and confident in their job.
(NAN)