Francis Ogbuagu 
The National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP) has said that since its first conviction in 2004, over 599 persons have been sentenced to various prison terms in the country.
The Benin Zonal Commander of the agency, Nduka Nwawenne, disclosed this at the Uromi Justice Development Peace and Caritas Initiative (Uromi JDPCI) Consultative workshop with Judges and Magistrates in Benin City.
The consultative workshop was on the operationalisation of the Victims of Trafficking Trust Fund (VTTF) in Edo State. Nwawenne noted that NAPTIP first conviction was recorded in Edo State High Court, where the convict was sentenced to three years imprisonment in a judgment delivered on Friday, November 19, 2004 by the then Chief Judge of the state, Hon.
Constance Momoh. He added that the agency recorded 80 convictions in 2022, making it the highest number of yearly convictions in the country. He also disclosed that 27 convictions had been obtained by the agency as at March 31, 2023.
The Benin Zonal Com- mander further noted that there was the need to strengthen victims’ protection by making the Victims of Trafficking Trust Fund more operational so as to enhance the assistance and protection to victims of human trafficking in Edo State.
According to him, the provisions of the trust funds are supposed to be an effective counterpoise in the rehabilitation and reintegration of victims of human trafficking.
