The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Dr. Binta Bello, has urged the Federal Government and key institutions across the country to adopt a unified and coordinated strategy to confront the rising wave of violent crime.
She made the call on Wednesday in Abuja at a High-Level Policy Dialogue on Stopping Violent Crime in Nigeria, attended by government officials, development partners, civil society organisations, traditional rulers, and security agencies.
Dr. Bello warned that Nigeria can no longer rely on fragmented interventions to tackle issues such as gender-based violence, cyber-enabled crimes, and other forms of violent offences.
“This dialogue is not ceremonial; it is a strategic gathering. Nigeria must move beyond isolated interventions and embrace a truly integrated framework for protecting its citizens—especially women, children, and vulnerable groups,” she said.
The NAPTIP DG revealed that the forthcoming 2024 Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Report presents alarming trends, including increased gender-based violence, widespread underreporting, delays in justice delivery, and inadequate survivor support systems across several states.
She acknowledged progress in the domestication of the VAPP Act but noted that weak institutional capacity and poor data coordination remain major obstacles. “No society can achieve sustainable peace when the vulnerable remain unprotected,” she added.
Highlighting strides in combating digital threats, Dr. Bello praised the achievements of NAPTIP’s Cybercrime Response Team (CRT). Between January and November 2025, the team handled 56 cyber-enabled trafficking and exploitation cases, investigated 48, referred 12, and secured three active prosecutions.
The unit operates in collaboration with INTERPOL, NCA-UK, UNODC, ICMPD, Meta, NFIU, ONSA, and the Nigeria Police NCCC, and is now a founding member of the Joint Case Team on Cybercrimes (JCTC) established by the Attorney-General of the Federation.
“These achievements position NAPTIP as a national leader in combating cyber-enabled trafficking and protecting vulnerable populations in the digital ecosystem,” she said.
A key feature of the event was the launch of NAPTIP’s E-Learning App, designed to expand nationwide training for law enforcement officers, social workers, prosecutors, community leaders, and other critical stakeholders. Dr. Bello said the platform will help close knowledge gaps and ensure no institution or state lags in building capacity to address violent crime.
She emphasised that combating violence requires seamless, multi-sectoral collaboration covering health, education, justice, traditional institutions, the media, and digital service providers. Strengthening early-warning systems, improving reporting channels, trauma-informed service delivery, and harmonising national and state-level data systems were identified as urgent priorities.
“As Nigeria marks the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, we must reaffirm our commitment to ending digital violence and all other forms of abuse,” she noted.
The NAPTIP DG expressed appreciation to the First Lady, the Attorney-General of the Federation, development partners, MDAs, and community groups represented at the Dialogue, stressing that the outcomes must translate into stronger policies, stronger partnerships, and stronger protection for every Nigerian.
