…flays newspaper advert, demands independent probe of claims

…insists billionaire undeserving of award

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Girls for Change (GFC), has berated the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) over its decision to take side with Captain Hosa Okunbo despite allegations that the billionaire has exhibited tendencies and conducts that make him unqualified for the agency’s Hero Award.

The agency had taken advertisements in national newspapers to claim that it had done ‘due diligence’ on the nominees before arriving at the decision to give the award to Okunbo.

However, Ms. Uwanna Umokoro of GFC stressed that the statements do not do justice to the allegations against Okunbo and that it would only be just if an independent panel be set up to investigate the claims that Okunbo has taken undue advantage of young girls in his illicit trade in drugs and held orgies with friends involving young, vulnerable girls.

According to Umokoro, “We make bold to state that NAPTIP needs to do more to convince the general public that the allegations against Captain Hosa Okunbo can be overlooked with its half page newspaper publication claiming that they had conducted due diligence before his nomination for the award.

“It is quite regrettable that we are being dragged for calling for the right thing to be done. We are only after the interest of young girls, many of whom have suffered under the overbearing weight of this billionaire, who continues to prey on young girls to further his drug business across the world.”

He added, “We would not be deterred. This is an onerous task and we would not be perturbed by political propaganda. Our mission is not political. We stand by our publication and would fight against all forms of oppression and dehumanisation of the girl child, and Okunbo has shown that he clearly, stands on our way towards liberating the girl child, which is why we are calling for this independent investigation into the allegations we made earlier.”