The Office of the First Lady, Bauchi State, has expressed its readiness to partner with the Rescue Initiative for Sustainable Development (RISD) to sponsor a bill for the domestication of the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Law by the State House of Assembly.
The Director of Administration in the Office of the First Lady, Hajiya Talatu Musa, made this known during a stakeholders’ engagement to reflect on the successes and challenges in advocating for the domestication and enforcement of the law in the state.
Hajiya Talatu stated that the office would provide all necessary support for the proposed bill, ensuring that the Bauchi State judiciary can administer appropriate sanctions against perpetrators of human trafficking.
On her part, the Principal State Counsel at the Bauchi State Ministry of Justice, Maryam Balanmalam, said the absence of a domesticated anti-trafficking law was a major obstacle preventing the state’s judiciary from imposing stiffer punishments on offenders.
She noted that this limitation hampers the judiciary’s ability to effectively prosecute human trafficking cases, explaining that, as a result, such cases can only be handled by the Penal Courts.
The Executive Director of RISD, Mr Sulaiman Henna, highlighted the crucial role played by stakeholders in advocating for the domestication of the law in the state.
Mr Henna commended Governor Bala Mohammed for issuing an Executive Order to combat human trafficking in the state.
He also applauded members of the Bauchi State House of Assembly for their dedication in passing the bill for the establishment of sanitary pad banks in schools and correctional centres.
In their separate remarks, the founder of RISD, Mrs Lydia Shehu, and the representative of the Foundation for Societal Empowerment and Rejuvenation (FOSER), Malam Ahmadu Bello, emphasised the need for all stakeholders to intensify efforts towards achieving the set objectives.
