‘We’ll tackle human trafficking in Benue IDPs camp’
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP), Makurdi Zonal Command, has set up measures to beam its searchlight to stem cases of trafficking in children allegedly going on in the Internally Displaced Peoples’(IDP) camps in the state.
Trafficking of persons, sex exploitation and forced marriages are currently among other dehumanising cases allegedly bedevilling the camps.
NAPTIP’s Zonal Commander, Aganran Ganiu Alao, in an interview with Benue/Plateau Chronicle in Makurdi said: “We have identified 12 IDP camps in Benue state where these trafficking cases are taking place.
``Our officers will be deployed there to report any of such cases. We will do it in collaboration with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and other security agencies on ground at the camps.”
He said the command had received reports of cases of sexfor-food, child labour, forced marraiages and child thefts going on at the camps stressing the need for urgent action to address the situation.
He said even those who come to make donations of relief materials to the IDPs would be closely watched pointing a particular case of a woman who kept coming regularly to one of the camps under the guise of rendering assistance to pregnant women.
He explained that unknown to the people, the woman was actually monitoring the pregnant women, an act she carried out successfully by moving out one of the IDPs, who was due for delivery to her (victim) relative’s home under the pretence of providing her better care.
He added that after the pregnant lady was delivered of the baby, the strange woman hatched her plan while the husband of the new mother was away from home. She deceived the old male relative of the ignorant mother to gain his permission to take them to the hospital for medical attention, from where she sneaked away with the newborn after sending the baby’s mother on an errand.
Sadly, the zonal commander added that the baby hadn’t been found despite efforts made by his men and other security agencies.
He said the command recorded successful outing in 2018 when five suspects were convicted by a court with each of them handed a five year jail term and N2million fine each.
Alao said the command had since 2013 secured 20 convictions of human trafficking cases in the zone.
The commander therefore appealed to the public to immediately report to NAPTP whenever they suspect child theft, child molestation and child labour around their area, promising that such information would be treated with utmost confidentiality.