We Have Secured Conviction of 599 Offenders from 2004 Till Date: NAPTIP

 

The National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons ( NAPTIP) has said that since its first conviction in 2004 till date, over 599 persons have been sentenced to various jail terms in the country.

Barrister Nduka Nwawenne, Benin Zonal Commander of the agency made this known  today at the Uromi Justice Development Peace and Caritas Initiative (Uromi JDPCI) consultative workshop with judges and magistrates in Benin City.

Nwawenne noted that NAPTIP first conviction was recorded in Edo State High  Court,where the convict was sentenced to three years imprisonment in a judgment delivered on Friday, November 19, 2004 by the then Chief Judge of the state, Hon Constance Momoh.

He added that the agency recorded 80 convictions in 2022 making it the highest number of yearly convictions in the country.

He also disclosed that 27 convictions has been obtained by the agency as at March 31, 2023.

The Benin Zonal Commander, opined  that there was the need to strengthen victims protection by making the victims of trafficking trust fund more operational so as to enhance the assistance and protection to victims of human trafficking in Edo State.

According to him,the provisions of the trust funds is supposed to be an effective counterpoise in the rehabilitation and reintegration of victims of human trafficking.

"However, both in the Edo state law and in the national law, the funds has not been effective, even though at the Federal level, a committee existed to attract and manage the funds", he said.

While noting that the Edo State TaskForce on Human Trafficking recorded its first convictions in 2021, he added that is making appreciable progress in bringing other human traffickers to book.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Very Reverend Father Fidelis Arhedo, executive director, Uromi JPDCI said the workshop was to mobilize relevant stakeholders and galvanize actions towards the activation of victims of trafficking trust fund as contained in the Edo Traffic in Persons Prohibition law 2018.

He also added that the workshop was to call for the establishment of Victims of trafficking trust fund committee as also stipulated under section 67 and 68 of the Edo Traffic in Persons Prohibition law, 2018.

He, however, solicited the support of the judiciary, NAPTIP and other stakeholders' in the fight against human trafficking to ensure that compensation are being paid to victims of human trafficking.