Fred Ezeh, Abuja
National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has disclosed that no fewer than 143 cases of sexual related violence against women, girls and others were reported to the Agency across Nigeria during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Breakdown of the figure indicate that 40 cases of abuse and infidelity injury was reported, 15 incest cases, 12 threats, 7 abductions, 10 maltreatment, 10 out of court settlement, 4 damage to property, and 15 abandonment.
NAPTIP Director General, Julie Okah-Donli, who addressed journalists in Abuja, on Friday, said that the rise in violence against persons has become worrisome, even as the Agency was strongly committed to the fight against trafficking and violence against persons using the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015.
She disclosed that records in the sexual offenders register from 2019 indicated that 414 cases of sexual offences were reported, 107 cases verified with fingerprints and 38 people were convicted of various sexual offences.
She said: “This was contrary to statements by people in some government agencies who intend to mislead the public that convictions have been secured regarding sexual violence. Regrettably, these people are in critical government agencies that supposed to support us in this fight.”
The NAPTIP boss, thus solicited the support of stakeholders to its system that has proven to be more efficient and effective, instead of setting up parallel systems that have no legal backing and incomprehensive.
She, however, disclosed that NAPTIP has commenced advocacy for the mainstreaming of VAPP Act as a national law that will be applicable to all states, with hope that it will remove some notable legal hitches and caveat that, according to her, has impeded the domestication of the VAPP Act by some states.