NAPTIP Decry Huge Trafficking Of Benue Girls Into Sex Slavery In West African Countries

The Benue state zonal command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has decried the huge trafficking of girls from the state into sex slavery in other West African countries.

Mrs Gloria Bai, the zonal NAPTIP commander disclosed this on Tuesday during the presentation of kits to rescued traffic victims in Makurdi.

She explained that between 2020 and 2022, three hundred and forty-three (343) traffic victims from the state had been rescued.

According to her, the command has secured 20 convictions with 17 cases at various stages of prosecution in court.

“Before now, Benue was known for labour trafficking but we are having most of our children been trafficked to neighbouring African countries like, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and even Ghana.

“Recently I just had three girls that escaped from Ghana and came back. We are still trying to see what we can do about the case, we have our girls very young and those three girls that came back told me that they have many Nigerian girls and Benue girls in Ghana into sexual exploitation.

“Forty of the rescued traffic victims had six months training in skills acquisition program aimed to rehabilitate them,” she explained

The commander also disclosed that, five out of the 40 rescued traffic victims who had undergone various skills acquisition programs were empowered during the first phase of the program.

She thanked the Director-General of the Agency, Dr Fatima Waziri for the empowerment program which she said would help the victims to start a new life.

Meanwhile, some of the victims who received start-up kits, commended NAPTIP for the support, and expressed joy that the gesture would help them to settle down and start a new life.