The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, said the three survivors of human trafficking recently rescued in Cote D’Ivoire and currently in its shelter in Benin, would be empowered as soon as they finish their training programme. The agency said three of such victims had earlier been empowered, while 15 others would also be so empowered in the next six months after completing their training.
The Commander, NAPTIP’s Benin Zonal Office in charge of Edo, Delta and Bayelsa States, Nduka Nwanwenene, disclosed this in Benin on Wednesday, at a baseline revalidation workshop for Schools’ Anti- Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project implementation in Edo.
He said, “Three days ago, three girls that were rescued from Cote d’Ivoire arrived in our shelter. Many survivors have stayed in our shelter; they will stay for about six weeks, depending on the peculiar case.
“There was a lady we rescued from Mali; she was there for 10 years before she was rescued. She was in our shelter and has been reunited with her family. A business has been opened for her through our partners, International Organisation for Migration (IOM).”
Nwanwenene said that the agency was working with many stakeholders, especially the Nigeria Immigration Services, (NIS) to intercept prospective victims of human trafficking.
He said the agency tried as much as possible to engage survivors in productive activities because it believed that when they are engaged, they are less likely to be vulnerable to be recruited for trafficking.
According to him, “Last month, we empowered three survivors. Currently, 15 survivors are undergoing training at our shelter, and when they finish in the next six months, they are also going to be empowered”.