Plateau State Governor, SimonLanlong has decried the level of human trafficking in the country especially exploitation of persons with disability saying that concerted efforts must be made to ensure that Nigerians are protected irrespective of their status and tribe.
He made the assertion in Abuja during the reunion of a disabled girl, (Name withheld) who is a survivor of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Represented by the Executive Director, Plateau State Disability Right Commission, Mr. James David Lalu, the governor who commended NAPTIP for its laudable efforts in protecting Nigerian from human traffickers and any form of exploitation identified awareness creation as key to preventing human trafficking and promised to support the Agency in this regard.
The governor promised to provide the necessary platform for NAPTIP to sensitize citizens of the state especially those in the grassroots on the dangers of human trafficking.
In her response, Director – General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah – Donli, stated that every Nigeria has the right to be protected from any form of abuse and exploitation irrespective of their status.
The NAPTIP boss observed that it is painful to imagine that physically challenged persons are victims of human trafficking stressing that the Agency will no more tolerate this development.
She disclosed that in order to efficiently care for the persons with disability, she has concluded plan to create a disability desk bearing in mind numbers of such person that have been rescued by the Agency of recent.
It would be recalled that the said victim was lured out of school and trafficked to Chad, Cameroon and later Gabon where she was eventually rescued.
