THE National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has warned Nigerians to desist from giving jungle justice treatment to victims of crime.

Mrs Julie Okah-Donli, the Director-General of the agency, gave the warning during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to her, the jungle justice clause is becoming worrisome as some citizens now takes law into their hands without an in-depth of what the crime is all about.

“The media are not doing enough concerning jungle justice clause, it appears it has come to stay; we all know how powerful the media is, this impunity must stop.

“The media can petition the police, the Inspector General of Police, to ensure that if someone is found alive or stripped naked in the name of jungle justice, those involved will be arrested.

“By the time the arrest is done, nobody will allow anyone to be treated that way around their houses, this will stop but it is like everyone is just keeping quiet concerning jungle justice,” she said.

The director-general therefore called on the media to do enough work in this area through publicity to put an end to jungle justice clause.

Okah-Donli however called on Nigerians to report the issue of crime of whatever nature to the appropriate authorities instead of taking laws into their hands in the name of passing judgment without enough investigation on the crime committed.

On Nigerian girls trapped in Mali, she said that the agency was closely monitoring the girls to ensure they all return back to their country safely.

“We are actually working with an NGO in Mali, War Against Human Trafficking, they are doing a lot for us, they have been able to rescue some of those girls that were taken to their shelter and are back to Nigeria.

“In the last two months, we have received some of them, so they have been coming back, we have been able to bring some of them back,” she said. (NAN)

– July 9, 2019 @ 14:15 GMT |