The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Uyo Zonal Command, Akwa Ibom, said it has secured the conviction of 52 persons in the zone.
Speaking on Thursday in Uyo, Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Mrs Tina Ugwu who revealed that the agency rescued 1,444 victims within the zone in 2021, stated that 723 of the victims were from Akwa Ibom, 413 from Cross River, while 282 and 16 were from Bayelsa and Rivers states respectively.
Ugwu said within the period, the agency investigated over 568 of the 1,035 cases it received, while 11 of the 52 convicted traffickers were still in court.
The Zonal Commander decried the high incidences of sale of babies in Akwa Ibom, saying the agency has intensified efforts to apprehend perpetrators of the crime.
She said the practice was fueled by the illegal activities of traditional birth attendants and warned that the agency would not spare any of them found culpable.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
