By Ankeli Emmanuel (In Sokoto State)
A fire whose source is yet to be ascertained, on Saturday afternoon, razed down the Sokoto Zonal Command office of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
The fire according to the eyewitness account started from the shelter section of the office and extended to the offices.
Confirming the incident, Hajiya Hassanah Mikailu, the Public Relations Officer of the Command, said the scenario was very devastating. While stressing that no life was lost to the inferno, Hassanah noted that they have some survivors at the shelter who all escaped unhurt.
A reliable source from NAPTIP who preferred anonymity, told NIGERIAN NEWS-LEADER Correspondent, that they are suspecting the cause of the fire to be an electrical fault.
Commenting on the sad development, Malam Isa Tudun Wada of Sokoto State, said the news came to them as a rude shock. This, according to him, was in view of the fact that all hope of securing justice for victims of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) as well as Harmful Practices (HP) within Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara states largely depends on NAPTIP.
Another concerned indigene from Kebbi State said the cause of the fire should not only be investigated urgently but also appealed to the Sokoto State government to provide a temporary place for the agency while the federal government gets another office for NAPTIP as urgent as possible.
On his part, the chairman of Sokoto State GBV Response Team, Rabiu Gandi, said it is one incident too many as NAPTIP remains a reliable partner in the State in the effort towards curbing crimes against humanity in Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara States respectively. NNL.
