The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has raised the alarm over reports of parents and guardians allegedly handing their children over to men for sexual exploitation in exchange for money and other benefits, warning that anyone found culpable will face prosecution.
The Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, said the agency was increasingly receiving reports of parents and guardians allegedly facilitating the sexual abuse of their children, describing the practice as an extreme betrayal of the trust and responsibility placed in them to protect minors.
Bello, who spoke in Abuja on Friday, vowed that the agency would intensify surveillance, investigations and prosecution to ensure that perpetrators were brought to justice.
Her warning followed the arrest in Abuja of a middle-aged woman, whose identity was withheld, over allegations that she gave out her teenage daughter to men for sexual pleasure in exchange for money.
The NAPTIP chief described the alleged conduct as a grave form of cruelty against a child, with potentially devastating consequences for the victim’s physical and psychological well-being, health and future.
“I am personally disturbed as a mother and as the Director General of NAPTIP, by the reported cases of some parents aiding and abetting the sexual abuse of their children for monetary benefits,” she said.
“From the reports being logged both at the headquarters and in our commands across the country, it appears that this unhealthy development is on the increase.”
Bello said it was particularly troubling that individuals entrusted with the care and protection of children could allegedly become enablers of their exploitation.
“It is painful to know that the very person who is in a position of authority, either as a parent or guardian to protect and defend the child, and whom the child trusted so much, is the same person who either abuses or aids sexual assault on her,” she said.
She warned that NAPTIP would not tolerate the exploitation of children for financial gain, adding that the agency had strengthened its monitoring and enforcement mechanisms and was working with other law enforcement agencies to facilitate prompt investigations and prosecutions.
“No excuse is tenable for this devilish act, and in line with our mandates, we shall not spare anyone found culpable in any abuse and sexual assault on children across the country,” Bello said.
The Director General recalled that she had, months earlier, directed the agency’s commands nationwide to strengthen surveillance, improve rapid response mechanisms and ensure effective prosecution of cases involving child abuse and sexual assault.
She said the agency was reinforcing these measures in response to the reports reaching its headquarters and commands across the country.
Beyond parents and guardians, Bello warned that children could also be exposed to sexual predators through people who have access to their homes and daily routines, urging parents to exercise greater vigilance when engaging domes.
Michael Olugbode
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