The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says it has secured more than 20 convictions for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) offences and rescued over 3,000 victims since January 2026.
The agency’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Vincent Adekoye, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday.
Adekoye said three of the convictions resulted in life imprisonment, adding that most of the cases involved rape.
“From January 2026 to now, we have rescued over 3,000 people from critical situations. We have also arrested a whole lot and are prosecuting a whole lot of them,” he said.
He said NAPTIP had strengthened its response to SGBV through increased collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and relevant ministries, departments and agencies.
According to him, the agency is also engaging communities and training frontline responders to improve the prevention, reporting and response to SGBV cases.
Adekoye warned perpetrators to desist from such acts, noting that offenders could be prosecuted under laws including the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act and the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act.
He also cited the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Maputo Protocol as relevant instruments for protecting victims’ rights.
Adekoye said the recent inauguration of an SGBV Media Corps by NAPTIP was aimed at strengthening media support in the fight against sexual and gender-based violence.
He urged journalists to go beyond reporting individual cases and investigate the underlying factors contributing to SGBV.
“We want the media to ask why cases are rising and examine the roles of critical institutions, customs, norms, behaviours and habits in addressing the problem,” he said.
The NAPTIP spokesperson also called for victim-centred reporting that protects the dignity, privacy and safety of survivors.
“We must protect the victims, ensure their dignity and privacy are protected, and help them regain trust in society,” he said.
The remarks were made at the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Media Corps Workshop organised by NAPTIP.
The workshop was supported by the European Union Support to End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Programme and implemented by International IDEA.
