Akpan Umoh, Uyo
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Offences (NAPTIP) has reunited a human trafficking victim with her family in Akwa Ibom after 20 years.
The agency’s Benin Zonal Commander, Mrs Ijeoma Uduak, handed over the victim to her mother, Madam Esther Udoh, at the palace of the Village Head of Idu Uruan, Chief Godwin Okoho, in Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, on Saturday.
Uduak said investigation has revealed that the victim was trafficked from Idu Uruan and taken to Benin City by one woman, who gave her out to another woman as domestic servant.
She said both suspects have been arrested by the agency in Benin City and that prosecution was ongoing to ensure that they face the full wrath of the law.
“We came in here by the capacity of our able Director General, Hajia Suleiman Ibrahim. We are here to fulfil the mandate of the agency. First, we carry out sensitisation, which is the preventive aspect of it, we carry out reunion, rehabilitation, rescue and empowerment of the victim.
“This is a victim that was trafficked from the classroom, when she was six years old; the woman came there and deceived her and picked her from Akwa Ibom State to Edo State.
“For years, there was no contact with her parents, meanwhile, you know the motto of every trafficker is deception before departure.
“She tactically told her, she is going to put her in a better school and empower her with skills. After everything, it now boils down to exploitation.
“So, when we got the intelligence, we looked at it properly and went for the arrest of the traffickers and rescue of the victim,” she said.
According to her, by the Grace of God, they were able to rescue the victim and arrest the traffickers. She added that the two suspects have been arrested and the case is ongoing in court.
She added: “Today, we came to reunite the child and the family, you can see how everybody is happy. They told us that they thought, she has been dead and forgotten.
“So, today is an epoch-making event and I want to give kudos to the director general of NAPTIP for her doggedness in the fight against human trafficking and the governments for their passion in child protection programmes.”
The Zonal commander, however, refused to disclose the names of the suspects, adding that the case was in court and more suspects would be arrested.
The zonal commander said that the victim when rescued, was traumatised and depressed, because all her human rights were deprived from her and the agency has to work on her to bring back her self-esteem.
She revealed that NAPTIP partnered with a Non-Governmental Organisation for training and empowerment of the victim on saloon business.
She appealed to parents not to fall into the deception of traffickers, who will come with fake promises of greener pastures to deceive them and take away their children for slavery.
Uduak advised parents to give birth to the number of children they could cater for to avoid looking for where to send the children to for child labour.
While speaking with the victim, she disclosed that the woman’s husband used to assault her sexually. She also said that her foster parents used to send her out of the house times without number, in which case she slept outdoors, where she was exposed to cold and dangers of the night.
She added that it was during one of the moments she was sent out of the house and made to sleep outdoors that a neighbour picked her up and reported the matter to NAPTIP, who came to her rescue.
Speaking to the victim’s mother, Madam Esther Udoh, said she was full of joy, as she thought her daughter was death.
Udoh thanked God and the Federal Government for using NAPTIP to bring back her daughter.
The village head of Idu Uruan, Chief Godwin Okoho, said the return of the girl showed that the agency of government was still functional and working, adding that the reunion of the girl has brought joy to the community.
“Today, we can see that there are still good people in this country. We can see that government agency can work. We thank the Federal Government, President Muhammadu Buhari, NAPTIP and the state government for bringing back our daughter,” Okoho said.