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 from critical situations since January 2026.
Vincent Adekoye, Head of Press and Public Relations Unit, NAPTIP, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, noting that three of the convictions resulted in life imprisonment while 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,” Mr Adekoye said.
The disclosure highlights the scale of NAPTIP’s ongoing intervention against SGBV, which encompasses acts such as rape and other forms of sexual, physical and gender-based violence.
NAPTIP has also strengthened its response through collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and relevant ministries, departments and agencies, according to Adekoye.
He said the agency was combining enforcement with prevention measures, including community engagement and training for frontline responders to improve the identification, reporting and handling of SGBV cases.
The agency’s intervention comes against the backdrop of persistent violence against women and girls in Nigeria. UN Women data shows that 13.2 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 reported experiencing physical and/or sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, based on 2018 data.
Nigeria has established a legal framework for combating violence against persons, including the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, 2015. NAPTIP is mandated to administer the Act and collaborate with relevant government and non-governmental organizations in its implementation.
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Adekoye warned perpetrators against engaging in SGBV, saying offenders could face prosecution under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act and other applicable legislation, including the Cybercrimes Prohibition, Prevention Amendment Act.
He also referenced international and regional instruments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Maputo Protocol, as important frameworks for safeguarding victims’ rights.
Beyond law enforcement, NAPTIP is seeking a more investigative and victim-sensitive approach to media coverage of SGBV.
Adekoye said the agency recently inaugurated an SGBV Media Corps to strengthen collaboration between NAPTIP and journalists and improve public awareness of the causes and consequences of gender-based violence.
He urged journalists to move beyond reporting individual incidents and investigate the social and institutional factors that allow SGBV to persist.
“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.
He further called for victim-centred reporting, particularly in cases involving sexual violence, stressing that media coverage should not expose survivors to further stigma, retaliation or trauma.
“We must protect the victims, ensure their dignity and privacy are protected, and help them regain trust in society,” he said.
The call is particularly relevant given the need to balance public interest with survivors’ rights when reporting sexual offences.
NAPTIP’s Sexual Offenders Database provides a mechanism for recording sexual-offence cases and convicted offenders, while also providing information on service providers available to victims and survivors.
The SGBV Media Corps Workshop, where the remarks were made, was organized by NAPTIP with support from the European Union Support to End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Programme, implemented by International IDEA.
The agency said stronger cooperation among law-enforcement bodies, communities, service providers and the media remains essential to preventing SGBV, improving reporting and ensuring that perpetrators are brought to justice while survivors receive appropriate protection and support.
NAN
