The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) revealed on Saturday that the available shelter facilities in Nigeria were insufficient to adequately accommodate rescued victims.
According to the Director-General, Fatima Waziri-Azi, the agency has successfully rescued and received over 22,000 victims since its inception.
In a Year Two Performance Report, NAPTIP acknowledged that inadequacy in facilities posed a significant challenge in providing proper care for the rescued and assisted victims.
The report outlined various aspects where deficiencies were noted, including sheltering, feeding, medical support, legal assistance, psycho-social support, and long-term rehabilitation and reintegration programs.
Highlighting a concerning shift in the geographic patterns of human trafficking in Nigeria, the agency stated that states once less prominent as supplier states now exhibit higher rates of trafficking. Traditionally, NAPTIP assessed the endemic nature of trafficking based on the origin of rescued victims.
Furthermore, the report brought attention to the underreported nature of human trafficking in Nigeria.
It explained that human trafficking ranks among the least reported crimes due to factors such as coercive relationships between perpetrators and victims, discouraging reporting.
Additionally, many individuals undergoing exploitation may not recognize their situation as trafficking, leading to a lack of self-identification as victims.
