NAPTIP to open register against child abusers in embassies

By Caleb Ayansina

ABUJA— The National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters, NAPTIP, has said it would open a register in all embassies and other strategic public places to display names of culprits convicted for any form of abuse against Nigerian children.

This is even as the agency has secured no fewer than 322 convictions thus far since its inception.

Director of Public Enlightment, NAPTIP, Orakwe Arinze, who disclosed these at a briefing on the launch of the campaign to end violence against children organised by the FCT Social Development Secretariat and the Vulnerable Children Technical Steering Committee in Abuja, weekend, said it was unfortunate that women were the main child abusers.

He said:  “Majority of the cases we get here (FCT) are child abuses and the women are the largest culprits.

“As at this minute, we have 332 convictions of the victims of trafficking since we started. These victims come with some levels of frustration, pains to retell their story. It is not very easy to get them to come and actually volunteer evidence against those who have exploited them.

“We are going to name and shame those who have been found to be culprits for this crime against children wherever they are located. If you are found wanting on any crime, the register had been set up and your names will be contained in that register. If you come to an embassy, being a child abuser, a rapist, I am not sure they will give you visa.”

A member of the children parliament in FCT, Tomilola Raji, noted that it was unfortunate that men of the Nigeria Police Force, who were suppose to be of help to a victim of rape, had been found compromising.

The Commissioner of Police, FCT, Musa Kimo, said the force had been reformed, in line with global standard of modern community policing, said some people, due to lack of knowledge, make rape cases difficult for Police to prosecute.

Represented by the officer in charge of Child Protection, FCT, Sarah Ehindero, the police commissioner said some victims kept to themselves due to stigmatization or took steps to destroy evidence before the case is reported to the Nigeria Police Force.

She urged individuals, civil society groups, among others, to raise more awareness on the issue of rape to stem the tide and make it possible to get justice for the victims.

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