By Ultimatenewsnigeria
The National Agency for the Prohibition of trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on Friday said that over two hundred and ninety two (292) Ebonyi state indigenes
were rescued from traffickers between the year 2004 and July 2020,
The Director General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli, disclosed this at government house, Abakaliki during the inauguration of the Ebonyi State Task Force on Human Trafficking.
According to her, 292 indigenes of Ebonyi State were rescued by NAPTIP and her partners, while International Organisation for Migration (IOM) returned 11 indigenes of Ebonyi from various parts of the world.
Okah-Donli said that almost all the states in Nigeria were affected by irregular migration and human trafficking.
"From 2004 to July 2020, a total of 292 indigenes of Ebonyi State have been rescued by NAPTIP and her partners, consisting of two hundred and five (205) females and eighty seven (87) males, mostly from Izzi, Ezza, Ikwo, Afikpo North and South, Onicha, Ohaukwu, Ohoazara, Ishielu, Abakaliki and Ivo local government areas of Ebonyi state".
" Between 2017 and 2020, the international organization for migration returned eleven (11) indigenes of Ebonyi state from various parts of the world".
"Libya, Mali, Niger, the middle East and parts of Europe, and these comprised of nine (9) females, two (2) males,
"These victims were mostly subjected to child labour, domestic servitude and sexual exploitation
She said it has become necessary to establish the taskforce in collaboration with the state government, to enable the agency achieve it's Mandate in Ebonyi.
She called on the Ebonyi state governor, Engr. David Umahi, to support the agency through the provisions of facilities for the smooth take off of the proposed NAPTIF command in Ebonyi state,
Responding, the governor of Ebonyi state, Chief David Umahi who was represented by deputy governor Barr. Kelechi Igwe, expressed delight with the agency for having returned Ebonyi indigenes who were victims of human degradation.
He said the state government has been on the looks to ensure that Ebonyians are liberated from all forms of human degradation, from inception in 2015, citing the human development projects executed by the present adminstration,
to empower Ebonyians both in home and in diaspora.
He said the state government had given the sum of one hundred and fourty million naira (140.000.000) to assist Ebonyi indigenes in Lagos with resources to do business,
Barr. Kelechi Igwe, who frowned at the activities of some individuals coming to Ebonyi state to look for house helps and sales boys to be used for slavery, said
"the era of coming to Abakaliki and Ebonyi state to take house helps is over, and we are saying it with every dexterity in us, it is over, we cannot allow that kind of thing to continue in our state"
He added that the governor and the government of Ebonyi state is open to assist the agency achieve it's Mandate at all times,
According to him, the issue of human degradation is a global security threat that must not be inhibited at all level of humanity, Ebonyi state and Nigeria inclusive. End.
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