Date: 2020-01-22

THE National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) is set to collaborate with the Kwara State government on rescue, rehabilitation and empowerment of rescued victims of human trafficking.

Director-general of the agency, Dame Julie Okah-Donli, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen after her meeting with the Kwara State governor, Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman, at the Government House, Ilorin.

The duo also raised hope for scores of indigenes of Kwara State who are victims of human trafficking and are trapped in Lebanon and other destination countries in the Middle East as the Kwara State government has concluded plans with NAPTIP to profile the victims and work out modalities for their return to Nigeria.

NAPTIP has also concluded plans to establish a command in Ilorin, to enhance its operation, especially in the areas of massive enlightenment, surveillance and rehabilitation of victims.

The meeting followed the hosting of the first trafficked victim, who was returned to Ilorin a few days ago and the need to take urgent steps to reduce incidence of human trafficking in the state.

The governor who expressed displeasure about recent development as it concerns indigenes of the state expressed his readiness to partner with NAPTIP for comprehensive rehabilitation of rescued victims as well as carry out preventive measures such as massive enlightenment and advocacy in all parts of the state.

The governor tasked the agency on the need to come up with confirmed numbers of trafficked victims from the state who are trapped or are facing exploitation in any of the Middle East countries with a view to putting in place effective mechanism for evacuating them.

Earlier in her speech, the NAPTIP director-general, who was represented by the regional director of the agency, Mrs. Kehinde Akomolafe, had told the governor of the plan to establish a command in Ilorin and sought the support of the governor.

She had a few weeks ago said the agency was working towards establishing a task force on human trafficking in the state as a deliberate step to curb the rising incidence of human trafficking in the state, especially the trafficking of persons to the Middle East for sexual and labour exploitation.