The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says its collaboration with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) will drastically reduce human trafficking.
A statement signed by Vincent Adekole, NAPTIP’s Public Affairs Unit, said this was the resolution of a meeting between NAPTIP and NIS held recently in Abuja.
“Muhammad Babandele, Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration and Mrs Julie Okah-Donli, the Director-General of NAPTIP jointly chaired the meeting.
“It is the climax of recent engagements of both agencies aimed at getting to the roots of problems of human trafficking and smuggling of migrants in Nigeria.
“We are working on how we can jointly pull resources together to fight the criminal elements,’’ Adekole said in the statement.
He said that both agencies resolved to renew cooperation towards implementation of various programmes, legal instruments and government policies, aimed at countering human trafficking.
“We will set up a joint technical team to promote interagency cooperation between both agencies, and to deepen synergy for effective intelligence sharing.
“We will also set up an Immigration desk At NAPTIP, and also a NAPTIP liaison desk at the NIS to enhance working relationship.’’
He added that both agencies also resolved to jointly intensify surveillance, awareness creation and joint operations with special focus on land, sea and air borders to curb illegal migration and trafficking.
According to him, NAPTIP is seeking for new stringent actions by the two agencies against the criminal gangs involved in crimes of human trafficking and illegal migration.
He said the agency also pledged its support in training NIS personnel in the area of proper identification of potential victims and suspected human traffickers.
The NIS, in collaboration with NAPTIP, had recently succeeded in ensuring the arrest, prosecution and conviction of a 29-year-old trafficker Sekinat Owolabi in Oshogbo, Osun.
Owolabi was convicted and sentenced to four years imprisonment.
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