OVER 70% OF VICTIMS OF WOMEN TRAFFICKING HAVE SUPPORT OF PARENTS- NAPTIP BOSS MAKES SHOCKING REVELATION

The Commandant of the Kano Zone of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Related Matters, Shehu Umar, 

has said that about 70 percent of freed female victims of forced labour or trafficking were discovered to have been taken away with the consent of their parents.

Mr. Umar stated this in Kano on Tuesday during the flagging off of the training and rehabilitation programmes for 30 women and girls that were freed from abductions, trafficking and force labour.

The participants who had suffered different abuses were selected from the 44 local government areas of the state. They would be trained on tailoring and hair dressing between three and six months at the end of which they would be given some incentives to start life afresh.

Mr. Umar said following the shocking finding that parents connived with traffickers, the job of the NAPTIP officials had been expanded to include the enlightenment and education of parents on the dangers of their action.

He explained that due to the rigorous enlightenment campaign the agency had recorded some successes in reducing the conspiracy by parents to send away their children.

He added that it was because of the successes recorded that the parents agreed to participate in the training sponsored by PRAWA, a non-governmental organisation.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy Director of PRAWA, Yinka Lawal, explained that the organisation decided to go into collaborative programmes with NAPTIP in five states because of the unfortunate rise in human trafficking and child-girl force labour that eventually lead them to prostitutions.

He said records had shown there was an increase in rescued number of trafficking victims in Kaduna State from only four in 2012 to 114 in 2013 while that of Kano rose from 59 in 2012 to 148 in 2013.

Mr. Lawal noted that PRAWA was compelled to engage vulnerable women and youth as well as community leaders on dangers of illegal migration and misconceptions about greener pasture in other places away from homes.

He added that the organisation introduced the project with the objective of reducing the incidences of human trafficking and ultimately prevents the crime in Nigeria.