By joshua 
… Praised Government for being forward looking, having passionate interest protecting rights of the people.
The Kogi State Government has been praised for being forward looking and for having passionate interest in protecting rights of the people.
The Director General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons NAPTIP, Dr. Fatima Waziri Azi, made the disclosure at a two day Kogi State Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law Implementation Study Engagement for office of the Public Defender and Citizens Rights Commission by National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons NAPTIP, holding in Abuja, with support by Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development SCDDD, under the Community Initiatives to promote peace.
The Director General NAPTIP, represented by Josiah Emerole, NDI Public Enlightenment Department, NAPTIP, praised the Kogi State Government for domesticating the VAPP Law 2022, called on other states in the country yet to domestic the law to emulate Kogi State by domesticating the law which stands to curb incessant cases of violence across board.
While pointing out that NAPTIP is a government agency with the mandate to implement the trafficking in persons prohibition enforcement law, the VAPP law, and to tackle all forms of violence against persons in private and public life, as well as provide maximum protection and remedies for victims and punishment for offenders.
Some of the areas of intervention by NAPTIP, the Director General discloses include rape, female genital mutilation, stalking, political violence, domestic violence, harmful practices, inflicting injuries, wilful destruction of properties, urged the participants from the office of the PDCRC to be courageous in the implementation of the VAPP law irrespective of the associated challenges with its implementation.
While pointing out that NAPTIP is partnering with the civil society to provide victims of gender based violence, tasked the participants to take the engagement with all the seriousness it deserves as it would create a better society.
Presently, the agency the Director General explained has deployed twelve officers as protection officers in the six area councils of the FCT with the aim to provide services for victims, expressed optimism that leveraging with critical stakeholders and partners, achieving implementation of the VAPP law is realizable.
As a way of achieving its objectives, the Director General explained that it carries out visit to market places, schools, sponsor sensitization campaigns in the electronic media with the aim of creating awareness and with the view to arresting and prosecuting offenders.
Speaking at the engagement, the Barr. Abdullahi W. Zakari, Director General PDCRC, says the PDCRC in the State is looking forward and working to make the implementation of the VAPP law.
While pointing out that alot has been achieved since the establishment of PDCRC, has 14 lawyers, a ten member Governing Council, has looked into 45 cases, concluded 25 in 2022, says the organization is deliberately working for people of the State to have the full benefits of the VAPP law.
In there goodwill messages, the Representative of SCDDD, Sir. Bola Abimbola, Senior Program Manager,
and Muhammad Munji Sanusi, Senior Program Manager, Pastoral Resolve, emphasized the importance of the engagement, promised all the necessary support that would lead to the implementation of the VAPP law in Kogi State.