Tag: NAPTIP

NAPTIP, UNICEF Renew Partnership For Effective Child Protection

 

The Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of the Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Dr. Fatima Waziri – Azi, Tuesday played host to a team from the United Nations Children Education Funds (UNICEF) led by its Chief of Child Protection, Mrs. Sharon Oladiji, in a meeting that saw the two agencies renew its partnership for effective child protection. 

In her speech, Mrs Sharon Oladiji traced the existing working relationship between NAPTIP and UNICEF to 2003 adding that with the recent development and the plight of children in the wake of rising Sexual and Gender Based Violence across the Country, there is the dare need to work closely with NAPTIP.

READ ALSO: Insecurity: IGP Orders Massive Deployment Of Additional Operatives To Secure FCT

She outlined the areas of expected working relationship to include building capacity of Child Protection Officers and Counsellors in order to response effectively to issues of SGBV, partnership in the area of Child Protection information management, Child migration management as well as participation of NAPTIP in the solution room activities which is part of the justice delivery activities.

In her response, Director General of NAPTIP, Dr Fatima Waziri – Azi, thanked UNICEF for its support to the Agency in the past and expressed the readiness of NAPTIP to partner further with the Fund for adequate protection of Children in the Country.

The Director General also informed the UNICEF officials of some of the recent achievements of the Agency in the areas of implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act which include the appointment and posting of Child Protection Officers in the Six Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the conviction of 13 SGBV offenders with 89 cases in Court of Law, the inauguration of Anti- Human Trafficking and Violence Against Persons Vanguard in Federal Unity Schools across the Country in addition of high scale enlightenment and awareness.

Human Trafficking: 615 Victims Rescued In Katsina Since January – NAPTIP

Katsina, usually referred to as Katsina State to distinguish it from the city of Katsina, is a state in North West zone of Nigeria.
Katsina, usually referred to as Katsina State to distinguish it from the city of Katsina, is a state in North West zone of Nigeria.

 

At least 615 victims of human trafficking have been rescued in Katsina State from January to date.

The Commander of the State Command of National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Musa Aliyu, gave out the figure on Saturday in a joint Press Conference to mark World Day Against Trafficking in Persons at the Katsina State Secretariat Complex.

He explained that NAPTIP received the victims in collaboration with stakeholders from the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Police Force and the Civil Society Organisations (CSO) operating in the State.

Aliyu, while urging Nigerian youths not to be deceived with the so-called greener pastures, noted that this year’s theme for the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is “Use and Abuse of Technology” and focuses on the use of technology as a tool that can enable and impede human trafficking.

The Joint Conference was put together by the State’s Ministry of Women Affairs, the State Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) as well as the State Command of the Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL).

In his remarks, the State Coordinator of the State Command of the Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL), Mr. Shola Babadiya described cyber technology as avenue used by human traffickers to further their nefarious activities under its power of anonymity.

The traffickers, he said, used cyber technology to not only mobilize and recruit their victims but also arrange for their transportation and logistics, calling on people to be on alert and collaborate with the NAPTIP.

The State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Rabi’ah Muhammad Daura urged media practitioners to intensify efforts of increasing awareness among the general public on the ills of human trafficking amid the tactics employed by traffickers in luring their victims into their nets.

39-Year-Old Suspect Commits Suicide In NAPTIP Detention

 

A 39-year-old suspect has committed suicide at the detention center of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

The suspect was arrested and detained in Ikeja GRA, Lagos State for child trafficking offences.

An intelligence officer on duty explained that while on a routine check, she discovered that the suspect detained hung himself.

READ ALSO: Mob Set Ablaze Three Suspected Robbers In Abia

Although Channels Television could not however ascertain the cause for the action, NAPTIP authorities are yet to comment on the situation.

But the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident on Monday.

He stated that based on the report by the officer on duty, a team of detectives visited the scene and deposited the corpse at the Infectious Disease Hospital morgue in Yaba for autopsy.

The police spokesman also reiterated that the Lagos State Police Command would continue its investigation into the incident.

Over 8,000 Suspected Traffickers Arrested,17,727 Victims Rescued Since 2003 – NAPTIP

 

The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on Thursday said over 8,000 suspected traffickers have been arrested since its inception in 2003.

This is even as the agency said it has succeeded in rescuing 17,727 victims of human trafficking, sheltering and rehabilitating them within the past 19 years.

NAPTIP Director-General, Fatima Waziri-Azi, disclosed this at the ministerial weekly briefing at the State House, saying only 511 convictions were recorded owing to a lack of cooperation from the victims.

READ ALSO: Female Student Killed, Burnt In Sokoto Over Alleged Blasphemy

For 2022, she noted that 394 victims have gone through shelters from January 2022 to date.

She also disclosed that the agency has sponsored 15 victims to universities across the country, three of such graduates are now officers of NAPTIP.

According to her, while there have been 9,814 cases reported so far since the inception of the agency, over 20,000 Nigerians are still being trafficked in Mail.

NAPTIP Arrests Suspected Trafficker, Rescues Two Sisters

Imo State is located in the southeast region of Nigeria.
Imo State is located in the southeast region of Nigeria.

 

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested a suspected human trafficker in Imo State and rescued two persons.

NAPTIP identified the suspect as Emmanuel Abatalam, a 24-year-old native of Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State.

While parading the suspect at the NAPTIP office in Owerri, the state commander of the agency, Ernest Ogbu said the agency had been on the trail of the suspect for over one month.

He said following intelligence information, the suspect was arrested after a failed mission to traffic two biological sisters to Libya.

READ ALSO: Nobody Can Accuse Me Of Having Companies Or Mansions – Buhari

“About a month and [a] few weeks ago, I got an intelligence report from the Director Headquarters of NAPTIP in Abuja that a man by name – Emmanuel Abatalam – has recruited and moved some girls out of the country,” he said.

“I looked into it and I was asked that currently, just within that week in question, he has recruited two girls and has moved them to Abuja enroute Libya. 

“According to him, the suspect is in Turkey, the madam that wants to make use of the girls [is also] in Turkey but I discovered that the prime suspect is in Libya not even Turkey.”

He said luck however ran against them when the girls suspected foul play as the man they were handed over to in Abuja attempted to take them by road to Sokoto State enroute Libya instead of the earlier plan to go to the airport to board airplane to Turkey.

He warned that those involved in human trafficking should desist from it as the agency will continue to pursue her mandate.

Buhari Swaps Heads Of Agencies Under Humanitarian Affairs Ministry

President Muhammadu Buhari 

 

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has swapped the positions of two Heads of Agencies under the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

Sen. Basheer Garba Mohammed will now become the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

While Mrs Imaan Suleiman Ibrahim who was the former DG of NAPTIP will now take over the affairs of Federal Commissioner for the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI).

Senator Mohammed was the Honourable Federal Commissioner for the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI).

President Muhammadu Buhari approved the swapping of positions in a statement on Thursday.

He said this is in order to realize and sustain the government’s abiding desire for effective and efficient service delivery in the two organisations.

“Consequently, Mrs Imaan Suleiman Ibrahim the current Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) takes over from Sen. Basheer Garba Mohammed as the Honourable Federal Commissioner for the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), while Senator Mohammed becomes the new Director-General of NAPTIP”.

The President further directs that the changes should be effected after comprehensive handover notes to successors.

Buhari Appoints New NAPTIP DG

File Photo: President Muhammadu Buhari

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim as the new Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

The Presidency disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday signed by spokesman Garba Shehu.

Mrs. Sulaiman-Ibrahim, who hails from Nasarawa state, holds a Bachelors’s degree in Sociology and Masters’s of Business Administration (MBA) degrees, according to the statement.

READ ALSO: Troops Kill Five Bandits, Rescue Nine Victims In Kaduna

Until her new appointment, she was a member of the Nasarawa State Economic Advisory Council as well as a Special Adviser on Strategic Communication to the Minister of State for Education.

She is to replace Julie Okah-Donli, who was appointed by Buhari in 2017.

292 Trafficked Ebonyi Indigenes Rescued In Six Years – NAPTIP

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Julie Okah-Donli

 

Two hundred and ninety-two indigenes of Ebonyi State have been rescued from human trafficking.

This was disclosed on Friday by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

Speaking during the inauguration of the Ebonyi Task Force Team on Human Trafficking at Government House in Abakaliki, NAPTIP Director-General, Julie Okah-Donli said the rescue covered six years.

She explained that from 2004 to July 2020, the victims consisting of 205 females and 87males were subjected to child abuse, child labour, sexual exploitation and sale of babies.

“From 2004 to July 2020, a total of 292 indigenes of Ebonyi state have been rescued by NAPTIP, consisting of 205 females and 87 males, mostly from Izzi, Ezza, Ikwo, Afikpo north and south, Onitsha.

“These victims were subjected to child abuse, child labour, sexual exploitation and sale of babies.

“Between 2017 and 2020, the international organization for migration (IOM) returned 11 indigenes of Ebonyi state various parts of the world, Libya, Mali, Niger, the Middle East and parts of Europe. This comprised 9 females and 2 males,” she said.

The NAPTIP boss explained that human trafficking represents a clear and present danger to human and national security, adding that it must be addressed boldly and frontally.

READ ALSO: Any Strike Action Will Worsen Nigeria’s Economy, NGF Tells Organised Labour

While noting that the Task Force members have a pivotal role to play, Okah-Donli asked them to adequately sensitize people at the grassroots.

She also wants them to provide services and support to victims who have been rescued and returned as well as information sharing and law enforcement.

Speaking further, the NAPTIP boss also called for strong political will and budgetary provisions on the part of the state governments, in addition to the commitment of traditional institutions, religious and community leaders.

On his part, Governor Dave Umahi commended the agency for its efforts in curbing the menace in the country.

Speaking through his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, the governor assured the agency of the state government’s support in fighting the scourge of human trafficking.

He also promised to promote the activities of the agency to the grassroots in order to halt the activities of human trafficking in the state.

FG Working Hard To Bring Back Girls From Lebanon – NAPTIP DG

 

Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Julie Okah-Donli, on Saturday said the Federal Government is working hard to evacuate some 30 girls featured in a viral video from Lebanon.

In the viral video, the ladies were clustered in a room, seated in a tight circle, their backs against the wall. Some stood and one of them could be seen fanning herself.

They all wore face masks or covered their faces as a voice boomed in the background. “Good morning our government,” the voice started. “Please, we are pleading with you, we are stranded . . . we want to come home.”

READ ALSO: 29 Nigerians Stranded In Lebanon Successfully Evacuated

Okah-Donli, in two separate interviews with Channels Television on Saturday, said the girls are part of 150 persons already processed for evacuation by the Nigerian embassy in Lebanon.

“About 150 of them have been captured, including the girls in the video, for evacuation,” Okah-Donli said.

But the cost of chartering a flight amid coronavirus-induced lock-downs across the world “is not cheap,” the NAPTIP chief added.

“When these ones are airlifted, another batch will cry for help,” she said. “The Federal Government can not fund this alone.”

A composite of screengrabs created on August 1, 2020, from the viral videos of Nigerians in Lebanon calling for help.
A composite of screengrabs created on August 1, 2020, from the viral videos of Nigerians in Lebanon calling for help.

 

Okah-Donli said she will meet with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq on Monday and work with State Governments to help facilitate the evacuation of the ladies.

Lebanon is mired in its worst economic crisis in decades, with the downturn sparking soaring inflation and plunging almost half the country’s population into poverty.

However many Nigerians are being trafficked into the country with the promise of good, well-paid jobs.

In a later interview with Channels Television, Okah-Donli noted that the Federal Government has already taken steps to ensure the girls’ well-being.

“Where they are staying now, the Nigerian embassy in Lebanon put them there, at least kept them in a safe space,” she said.

“They are not just folding their hands and playing; they are working hard with the Nigerian government here and the relevant partners to bring them back; and we will bring them back, just as we’ve been bringing girls back from all over the world.

“A few weeks ago, we had a planeload of girls coming from Lebanon. So this is not a one-off exercise; it’s a gradual work in progress because we have about 5,000 of them there in Lebanon alone; and we are talking about more in Oman, Dubai, Mali, all over the place.

“It’s not a cheap exercise; it’s a very expensive exercise and the federal government is doing all it can to bring them back.”

Viral Video: About 5,000 Nigerians Stranded In Lebanon – NAPTIP

 

About 5,000 Nigerians are stranded in Lebanon, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) confirmed to Channels Television on Saturday.

The agency’s Director-General, Julie Okah-Donli said this while confirming a viral video of stranded Nigerian ladies in Lebanon calling out to the government and eminent Nigerians to help evacuate them from the Middle-East country.

Lebanon is mired in its worst economic crisis in decades, with the downturn sparking soaring inflation and plunging almost half the country’s population into poverty.

However many Nigerians are being trafficked into the country with the promise of good, well-paid jobs.

“About 150 of them have been captured, including the girls in the video, for evacuation,” Okah-Donli said.

But the cost of chartering a flight amid coronavirus-induced lock-downs across the world “is not cheap,” the NAPTIP chief added.

“When these ones are airlifted, another batch will cry for help,” she said. “The Federal Government can not fund this alone.”

Okah-Donli said she will meet with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq on Monday and work with State Governments to help facilitate the evacuation of the ladies.

NAPTIP Proposes Establishment Of Special Court For Sexual Offenders

File Photo

 

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP), is proposing the establishment of special courts in the country to try sexual offenders.

According to the Director-General of NAPTIP, Julie Donli-Okah, the special courts will allow for speedy trial of all persons accused of rape.

The NAPTIP DG made the comments at a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

She also expressed concerns over the non-adoption of the Violence Against Persons Act by state governments, noting that such states are inadvertently promoting sexual violence in their domain.

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Child Abuse: NAPTIP, Delta Govt Rescue 11-Year-Old Victim

 

An eleven-year-old girl has been rescued from the home of her foster parent, who is alleged to have subjected her to abuse in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

The operation was carried out by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in collaboration with the state government, after a tip-off by members of that community.

The suspect, a widow in her forties, initially resisted arrest but was eventually taken away by the officials to the NAPTIP zonal office in Benin City, the Edo State capital.