BENUE Links Nigeria Limited, a state-owned transport company, says it is working with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to combat human trafficking.
Benue Links General Manager, Mr Alexander Fanafa, made the disclosure on Friday in Makurdi during an interaction with members of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Benue Council.
Fanafa revealed that the company, in collaboration with the NAPTIP, has intercepted and rescued many victims of human trafficking.
The GM said that under his watch, the company made it a duty to transport rescued Benue indigenes anywhere in the country back to their respective homes in the state free of charge.
He stated that the company is also working closely with security agencies and other stakeholders to prevent trafficking through its transport network.
“Last week alone, we recovered five trafficked children. The previous week, we rescued 11, all handed over to NAPTIP. Just days ago, we found one more and reunited the child with their parents in Zaki Biam.
“We are committed to using our platform to protect vulnerable individuals,” he said.
Fanafa announced that all disabled passengers, as a new company policy, pay only 50 per cent of their required transport fare anywhere they are going in the country.
The GM stated management stabilised and sustained lower transportation fares to ease the financial burden on commuters.
He explained that the company has over 1000 vehicles in its fleet to ensure seamless transportation of passengers.
Fanafa pointed out that Benue Links currently routes that across 35 states of the federation plus the FCT.
Despite rising insecurity and kidnapping incidents nationwide, Fanafa assured the public that Benue Links is doing its best to ensure passenger safety.
“Security may not be our direct responsibility, but we are working with relevant bodies to safeguard our passengers,” he said. NAN)
