The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Rivers Command, in collaboration with Imo State University Alumni Rivers Spectacular Chapter, is seeking government support for vulnerable children in Nigeria.
The appeal was made during a visit to the Handmaid Children’s Home in Port Harcourt on Friday.
Mrs Comfort Udofia, Assistant Chief of NAPTIP, Rivers command, stated that the agency partnered with registered orphanage homes and organisations to combat human trafficking, particularly of vulnerable children in society.
Udofia highlighted several key challenges faced by the agency in its fight against human trafficking in the state, including the lack of office space, operational vehicles, and shelters for rescued children.
“We don’t have a shelter to keep the vulnerable children we rescue from traffickers.
“We also lack vehicles for our daily operations,” she said.
“We are currently partnering with Handmaid Children’s Home as one of our temporary shelters, but we need sustainable livelihood support for these children to get them off the streets.
“We appeal to the government to assist us with office space and operational vehicles.”
Udofia also warned parents against trafficking their children for money and urged them to be vigilant, noting that such actions put the lives of their children at great risk.
Mr Christian Kanu, Chairman of the Rivers Spectacular Chapter of the Imo State University Alumni Association, said the visit was part of the group’s corporate social responsibility and a commitment to serving humanity.
“We decided to partner with NAPTIP on this visit to give back to society, impact lives, and especially show love to vulnerable children during this Easter season,” Kanu stated.
He emphasised the importance of collaboration and partnerships in addressing societal gaps and called on organizations, government agencies, and well-meaning individuals to support the association in building a better society.
During the visit, the association donated generator sets, a bag of rice, tubers of yam, cartons of noodles, vegetable oil, cartons of tomato paste, toothpaste, tissue paper, and other essentials to improve the children’s standard of living.
Dr Grace Okpara, Executive Director of Handmaid Children’s Home, also appealed to the government and philanthropists to provide a permanent site for the home.
“We have limited space, so we can’t accommodate all the vulnerable children.
“We are working to trace and reunite them with their families. Some of them don’t even know where they are from, as they were rescued from traffickers en route to other countries,” she said.
Okpara further requested government support for school fees, vocational empowerment, and medical expenses for the children
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