Adebayo Adenrele
The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Fatima Waziri said the Agency has convicted about 631 Human Traffickers since its establishment in July, 2003.
Waziri revealed this known while speaking with newsmen during the workshop for its Public Relations Officers (PROs) and Public Enlightenment Officers (PEO) on Wednesday in Lagos.
She said that the number of convictions in 2022 was the highest since the agency’s inception.
Her words: “In 2022, we are able to secure 80 convictions, which was the highest since the inception. As at today in 2023, we have secured 55 convictions and still counting.
“For the first time on 8 March, we extradited a high profile human trafficker back to Italy to serve her 13 years sentence.
“This we did in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice, Department of State Security, Interpol and Nigeria judiciary.
“Three weeks ago, for the first time, we secured the conviction of a high profile criminal, a Nigerian based in Belgium, responsible for trafficking girls all over Europe.
“He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and a fine of N24 million,” she said.
Waziri also noted that this accomplishment not only sends a strong message to the perpetrators of human trafficking but also serves as a deterrent to potential offenders.
