By Ayodele Oni
The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, has vowed to prosecute paedophiles and heartless parents selling their children for sex.
Bello condemned the rising wave of parents and guardians handing over their own children to predators for financial gain, vowing that NAPTIP will now pursue, prosecute and secure maximum conviction for every culprit.
The warning comes after operatives of the agency in Abuja arrested a middle-aged woman accused of offering her teenage daughter for sexual exploitation in exchange for cash.
The NAPTIP boss described the act as the height of cruelty and wickedness.
According to her, reports flooding the agency’s headquarters and state commands show the evil trend is increasing at an alarming rate.
“I am personally disturbed as a mother and as DG. I cannot imagine a mother giving out her daughter for sexual pleasure in return for money. This is among the highest forms of wickedness.”
Bello lamented that children are being turned into objects for sexual gratification by the very people meant to protect them, with devastating consequences on their health, psychology and future.
She disclosed that months ago, she had ordered all NAPTIP commands nationwide to intensify surveillance, rapid response and aggressive prosecution of child sexual abuse cases.
“No excuse is tenable for this devilish act. We shall not spare anyone found culpable,” she warned.
She revealed that the agency has strengthened collaboration with sister security agencies to ensure swift investigation and prosecution.
The DG also cautioned parents to be vigilant about who they allow around their children.
“Be careful with the choice of your gatekeepers, drivers, gardeners, and even persons that do your school runs. A lot of abuses are being carried out by known faces,” she warned.
She urged parents to properly profile vendors and domestic staff who have access to their homes and children when they are away.
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