Ms Julie Okah-Donli, the Director-General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has warned that any forms of abuse on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across the country would no longer be tolerated.
OKah-Donli, gave the warning during her visit to the new Kushingoro IDPs’ camp in Abuja to commemorate Children’s day and Democracy Day.
She said that her agency would henceforth not tolerate any abuse on vulnerable Nigerians and less privileged persons in the society.
According to her, such crime would not be swept under carpet irrespective of the status of the offender and the circumstances.
“NAPTIP will no more tolerate any abuse of children and women in any of the IDPs’ camps in any part of the country under any situation.
“We have reactivated our working relationship and collaboration with divers partners and other sister security agencies as well as several caregivers working at the various IDPs camps with a view to unmask any act of abuse within those locations” she said.
The NAPTIP boss stated that the present security challenges that have displaced thousands of persons across the Northern parts of the country did not mean that those affected had lost their rights.
She said, “I want all Nigerians to know that these sets of people who are victims of insurgency and other security challenges have their rights intact as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“So, they should be respected and accorded the desired rights and privileges like other citizens of the country.
“NAPTIP will not tolerate any act that constitutes any form of abuse in any of the camps, their present predicament is nothing but just a bend in their journey of life, it is not the end of their life.
“Let us join hands to restore hope to them, let us join hands to put them back on the track so that they can contribute their own quota to the development of the nation.
“As a focal agency that is committed to the protection of Nigerians, NAPTIP has strengthened its partnership and working relationship with other sister Security Agencies working inside the various camps as well as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
“The partnership will help to nipping any act of abuse in any of the camps in the bud”, she said.
She urged IDPs to avail themselves of the opportunity of staying at the camp to develop themselves in skill acquisition in order to be self-reliance.
Speaking on behalf of the IDPs, Mr Philemon Emmanuel from Borno State thanked the NAPTIP director-general for visiting them as well as donating large quantity of essential consumable to them.
He called on other government agencies and corporate bodies to emulate the gesture. (NAN)