NAPTIP, NIS commence joint action against human trafficking

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8 years ago

CONCERNED by rising cases of human trafficking, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Nigeria Immigrations Services (NIS), have agreed to work more closely in the efforts to curb the menace.

This was one of the agreements reached by the two organisations when the Director-General of NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli and the management of the agency paid a working visit to the headquarters of the NIS in Abuja.

The two agencies have agreed to scale up intelligence sharing and joint border operations across the country as part of a coordinated plan to effectively prevent human trafficking and smuggling of migrants from Nigeria.

Okah-Donli recalled the existing relationship between the two organisations and stressed that the NIS remained a formidable partner whose assistance in the past had helped to ensure smooth operations of the agency.

The NAPTIP boss also called on the NIS and other organisations involved in the reception of repatriated Nigerians at various airports in Nigeria to make the reception and profiling of the returnees stress free in order to reduce the level of trauma suffered by the Nigerian returnees each time there was a repatriation operation.

Comptroller-General of NIS, Mr. Muhammad Babandede, who commended the NAPTIP boss for the strategic actions so far taken to re-invigorate the operations of the Agency, described NAPTIP as a vital partner to the NIS, adding that the two organisations must work together to raise the stake in the fight against human trafficking and smuggling of migrants in Nigeria.

He pointed out that the era of rivalry amongst agencies of government for the purpose of gaining popularity was over, adding that there was the need to work together and promote better service delivery in the country.

He also promised to halt further parade of victims of human trafficking before the media by NIS Commands in order to protect the dignity of the victims and in line with international statutes.