The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has asked the Bayelsa Government to provide it an office accommodation to enable it to pursue trafficking cases.
The NAPTIP Director General, Mrs Julie Okah-Donli, made the request when King Alfred-Papapreye Diete-Spiff of Amanyanabo of Twon Brass, Bayelsa, paid her a visit in her office in Abuja on Thursday.
She said that the creation of the agency office in the state was necessary to enable it pursue all cases of human trafficking and guard against the menace.
According to her, an office is necessary for ease of work for the agency, instead of working from Uyo or Benin office to oversee issues of human trafficking in Bayelsa.
Okah-Donli, while explaining some of the activities of NAPTIP to the royal father, said that the agency had trained some councillors and nurses across the country on how to give victims sycho-social support.
She added that “some of the victims in our shelters are now in higher institutions.”
The director general called for partnership with the royal house, saying that most traffickers go to the rural areas to get their victims by promising them all sorts of job opportunities.
He said the royal house could help in this aspect by laying an ambush on suspects.
Responding, the royal father promised NAPTIP an interim office where the agency could manage before securing a bigger space.
He said that as a royal father, he was ready to not just stop traffickers but to prevent anything that would bring about human degradation to the state.
Diete-Spiff, the first Military Governor of old Rivers, and the Chairman of Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers’ Council, said that as a royal family, he was to give solace in all situations.
He said that the royal family would train the directors present at the event to become chartered mediators by working with the body mandated with the function.
He, however, pleaded with NAPTIP to make trafficked victim returnees more productive by teaching them mushroom production to keep them engaged.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some NAPTIP directors at the event thanked the royal father, saying that the visit was a symbolic one in their sight.