Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi has revealed that many orphanages in the country are presently having their activities investigated for likely child trafficking.
Waziri-Azi made the disclosure during a one-day community dialogue and advocacy on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) organised by the agency for stakeholders in Gwagwalada local council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The NAPTIP DG said some orphanages commit a lot of infractions that can be categorised as human trafficking.
She said: “We are investigating a lot of orphanages around the country, NAPTIP is currently prosecuting some of these orphanages.
“The agency is witnessing a lot with these orphanages. No orphanage has the right to conclude the adoption of children. NAPTIP comes in when there is an element of human trafficking.”
She also warned operators of orphanages to be careful about their mode of operation, adding that Nigerians should avoid adopting babies from such homes.
In February, the federal capital territory administration sealed the Priesthood Orphanage in Karon Majigi village, Abuja, for allegedly trafficking 23 children whose ages range from one to 14 years.
The children, who were rescued from the orphanage, were alleged to have been trafficked from Plateau State.
The NAPTIP head also condemned the act of child molestation, lamenting that it has become a rampant issue facing the young one today.
She said: “Issues of sexual and gender based violence happens mostly at the community level and we must all create solutions that deals directly with this problems and the solutions can only come from you as stakeholders. The grievous offenses like, infliction of injury, female genital mutilation should not be settled at the community level. These are very serious offenses that deserves legal action and settling this kind of issues at the community level is just blatant injustice to the victim”.
She added that: “So protecting offenders, intimidating witnesses, hinders justice and leads to a lot of withdrawal of cases. also notes that it is a serious crime to tamper with evidence. You tamper with evidence that can help law enforcement investigations, intimidation, threats, blackmailing, or when you give the witness money. All these are serious offenses that someone can be arrested for, It is also a crime to obstruct any law enforcement officers from doing their job”.
Earlier, the Chairman of Gwagwalada area council, Alhaji Abubakar Jibrin Giri speaking to at the event said: “One of the major problems we have in our society today is gender based violence in Which has become a phenomenon in our society. And thank God that people are coming in to join hands with the governments to see how we can eradicate or at least bring to the minimum the menace in society.”
He added that: “Our youth is our future leaders, and the way we take care of them is how they will be tomorrow.”
