Hyacinth Alia has pledged to work closely with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to curb the rising cases of human trafficking and violence against persons in Benue State.
The governor gave the assurance while receiving a delegation from NAPTIP led by Binta Adamu Bello at the Government House in Makurdi.
Governor Alia commended the agency for its active presence in the state and promised continued institutional support to strengthen its operations.
He said collaboration among all tiers of government remains critical in addressing human trafficking and related crimes, noting that his administration would prioritise policies that make Benue safer and reduce citizens’ vulnerability.
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Earlier, the NAPTIP Director-General praised the governor for supporting the Makurdi Zonal Command and urged sustained cooperation.
She disclosed that the command had intensified rescue operations, victim rehabilitation, family tracing, and prosecution of traffickers through intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, and community engagement.
According to her, public awareness campaigns have been expanded to schools, markets, religious centres, and the media to expose traffickers’ tactics.
She described Benue as a strategic state in the anti-trafficking fight, particularly due to recent crises that led to large-scale displacement of residents.
She also called for new initiatives and adequate resources to rehabilitate returnee victims of trafficking and irregular migration to prevent re-trafficking.
Senior officials of the agency, including the Director of Research and Programme Development and the Commander of the Makurdi Zonal Command, accompanied the Director-General on the visit.
