The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has said that it has convicted no less than 599 persons for human trafficking between 2004 and 2023 in Nigeria.
The Benin Zonal Commander of the agency, Barrister Nduka Nwawenne, made this known at the Uromi Justice Development Peace and Caritas Initiative consultative workshop with judges and magistrates in Benin, Edo State on Monday.
The consultative workshop was on the operationalisation of the Victims of Trafficking Trust Fund in the state.
Nwawenne noted that NAPTIP’s first conviction was recorded in Edo State 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 have been obtained by the agency as of March 31, 2023.
The Benin Zonal Commander said that there was a need to strengthen victims’ protection by making the trafficking trust fund more operational to enhance the assistance and protection of victims of human trafficking in the state.
“I must say that 599 persons have been convicted in the country since we got the first conviction in 2004.
“The provisions of the trust funds are 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 have not been effective, even though at the federal level, a committee exist to attract and manage the funds,” he said.
While noting that the Task Force on Human Trafficking in Edo State recorded its first convictions in 2021, he added that it is making appreciable progress in bringing other human traffickers to book.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Executive Director of Uromi JPDCI, Very Reverend Father Fidelis Arhedo, said the workshop was to mobilise relevant stakeholders and galvanise 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 the victims of trafficking trust fund committee as stipulated under sections 67 and 68 of the Edo Traffic in Persons Prohibition law in 2018.
He, however, solicited the support of the judiciary, NAPTIP and other stakeholders in the fight against human trafficking to ensure that compensation is being paid to victims of human trafficking.
(PUNCH)
