BY JUDE OSSAI / ENUGU
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The National Agency for the Prohibition of Traficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has inaugurated a 7-man committee for speed justice delivery of trafficking victims in Enugu.
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The Director-General of the agency, Binta Bello, inaugurated the commiittee in Enugu on Thursday.
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The committee has Prof. Sylvester Anya as the oordinator and Mrs Ogechukwu Enwelum as the Secretary.
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Bello was represented by the South-East Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Mr Jonathan Ukpai.
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The DG said that the effect of trafficking especially as it concerns women and children was much.
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She expressed the hopr tbst the co dtitution of tbe committee would reduce human trafficking in the entire South East.
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Earlier, Mr Leon Javier, Team Director, Foundations for Internationalisation of Public Administration ( FIAP) project – Support Migration Government in Nigeria – described Enugu as a famous city with vibrant commercial activities rich cultural heritage and tradition of academic excellence.
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Javier said they came to inaugurate a legal hub dedicated to support victims of human trafficking describing the hub as an act of justice.
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He said that the legal hub would not just become a place where victims would find only legal justice but where they would also find humanity, a place where justice would prevail over fear.
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“I pray it would serve the people with courage, compassion and integrity” he said.
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In her presentation, M.S Sharon Dimanche, Chief of Mission International Organization for Migration (IOM) said the lunch was more than a ceremonial event as it is a call to action, urging all state level actors, legal institutions and community stakeholders to lend their full support to this initiative.
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Dimanche who was represented by the coordinator M.S Opeyem Kolawole said that the hub would guarantee the victims access to Justice, protection and the opportunity to rebuild their lives.
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She convey appreciation to the European Union for their generous support as well as to their esteemed partners FIAP and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for their valuable collaboration.
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In his acceptance speech, the Coordinator of the committee, Prof. Sylvester Anya of the faculty of Law, University of Nigeria Enugu Campus said that they have accepted the mandate of the legal hub as the activities are not new to him and his team.
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Anya who have a legal practitioner Mrs Ogechukwu Enwelum as it’s secretary said he studied criminal law which teaches the theory accept of the activities of the hub adding that it’s an area they are conversant with.
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He explained that the tax was to translate the theory and the teachings into practice adding that the execution committee had seven members which six of them were practicing lawyers.
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In his contribution, the National President of the Network Against Trafficking Abuse and Labour (NATAL) Mr Abdulganiyu Abubakar said that the hub seeks to provide access to Justice and compensation for victims of human trafficking.
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Abubakar explained that recently, Nigeria government through NAPTIP and other development partners had established two legal hubs in Kano and Enugu and the hub was in composition of existing security architecture as well as government partners that had anti trafficking mandates.
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He described it as a coordinating system that would work together to ensure that cases of human trafficking are adequately and diligently prosecuted for victims to get justice and compensation for crime committed against them.
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In his remarks, the Enugu State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr. Willie Elijah express his happiness that Enugu has keyed into it as it would bring justice to the door steps of all victims of trafficking.
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While contributing, the Chairman Nigeria Barr Association, Chief Vincent Odo encouraged NAPTIP to always ensure proper investigation before embarking on legal redress for them not to lose any trafficking cases.
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