Following the rising cases of rape across the country, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi, has called for the stern application and enforcement of the provisions of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act 2015.
This is as she expressed sadness over the recent escalation of rape across the country especially as most rapists now murder their victims to bury their evil act.
Waziri-Azi stated this on Thursday in Kaduna during the inauguration of the Kaduna State Task Force on Human Trafficking held at the Government House, Kaduna.
The Press Officer of the Agency, Adekoye Vincent, disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘NAPTIP DG calls for strict application of VAPP law to curb rape and other forms of violence’.
While commending the Kaduna State Government for setting up four Sexual Assault Referral Centres, the NAPTIP boss requested that details of convictions and data be sent to National Sex Offender Register which is domiciled with the Agency.
In her remarks, the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Hadiza Balarabe, commended the Agency for its massive awareness creation; adding that human trafficking is a crime that requires the sustained cooperation and support of the whole nation.
She promised that the Kaduna State Government shall provide the needed support for the effective functioning of the newly inaugurated Task Force.
Membership of the Task Force was drawn from Law Enforcement Agencies, Civil Society groups, representatives of women groups, community leaders, religious leaders and other critical stakeholders.
State Task Forces on human trafficking are one of the counter-trafficking initiatives of NAPTIP to enhance stakeholders’ participation in preventing and raising awareness to eradicate the incidence of human trafficking across the country.
So far, the Agency has set up task Forces in 19 states with the Kaduna state making the 20th.
Copyright PUNCH.
