NAPTIP, partner treat human trafficking victims in Katsina

No fewer than 80 victims of human trafficking have been treated by the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) at a medical outreach in Katsina State.

The medical outreach was organised by NAPTIP in collaboration with the International Centre for Migration on Policy Development (ICMPD), under the framework of ‘Strengthening Niger-Nigeria Cooperation on Countering Trafficking in Human Beings’.

The representative of ICMPD at the event, Adeniyi Bakre, said the programme had a target to offer free medical outreach for about 640 victims of human trafficking across some states.

He said that from the first phase of the medical outreach, no fewer than 290 victims of the human trafficking were treated and supported across Abuja, Edo and Lagos.

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“Recently, we conducted the same medical outreach in Kano State, where about 100 victims benefitted, while in Katsina 80 have now benefitted from the exercise,” he said.

Bakre said the project, funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, was to bring to reality, the aspirations of Nigeria and Niger Republic to cooperate in mitigating the menace of human trafficking and provide support to victims of trafficked persons between them.

On her part, the director-general of NAPTIP, Dr Fatima Waziri Azi, said the outreach had become necessary in order to address issues of trauma and sexual exploitation of victims of human trafficking.

Represented by the director, Counselling and Rehabilitation, NAPTIP, Mrs Angela Agbayekhai, the director-general said the victims always had medical issues, which might not even be known.

“The programme will enable them to get medical attention and drugs so that they can fit properly into the society. We hope to extend the outreach to some other states,” she said.

She also commended the ICMPD for supporting the project, and advised parents and guardians not to allow their children and wards to leave Nigeria to seek greener pastures.