12th January, 2024
By Adebola Adegoke
Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, Director-General, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has warned that there have been incremental cases of Lagos indigenes being trafficked out of Nigeria contrary to the situation five years ago when the state barely appeared on its database.
She spoke during the official handover of the Countering Human Trafficking Office in Lagos State.
The office, located at the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency (LNSA) headquarters in Oshodi, will be utilised by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the agency.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the initiative was conceptualised under two projects namely, “Improved Response to Trafficking in Persons in Nigeria (INL)” and “Strengthening Nigeria’s Criminal Justice Response to Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (PROMIS).”
It was funded by the United States government and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and implemented by UNODC in collaboration with NAPTIP.
“In our work at NAPTIP, we are beginning to see incremental cases of Lagos State indigenes being trafficked out of Nigeria. Five years ago, indigenes of Lagos barely appeared on our database but now they do.
“In 2023, our shelter in Lagos received and rescued the highest number of victims of human trafficking comprising Nigerians and non-Nigerians. The shelter received 498 victims.
“For external trafficking, we rescued 34 Lagos indigenes, which shows that there is a problem and it needs to be tackled fast.
“If we must tackle the scourge of human trafficking in Nigeria, we need to strengthen our partnership with Lagos,” the NAPTIP chief executive said.
Waziri called on the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for more collaborative efforts to combat human trafficking in Nigeria.
She said the project was crucial because Lagos State had always been a transit and destination for internal and external trafficking.
She, however, commended the efforts of the LNSA and the Lagos State Task Force on Human Trafficking, saying they had been instrumental over the years in sharing good intel with NAPTIP.
This, she said, had led to the interception and rescuing of victims, potential victims, and the arrest of perpetrators of human trafficking.
“This collaboration further reinforces the role of government and society approach to control and reduce cases of human trafficking across the country,” she said.
The D-G also emphasised the need to strengthen awareness and education efforts, saying “prevention is a key pillar in the fight against human trafficking.
“We need to channel a lot of resources to awareness creation because it promotes early intervention, changes perceptions and attitudes, and serves as a deterrent for perpetrators.”
Mr Lawal Pedro, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, said the project marked a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to combat human trafficking.
Pedro, who is also the Chairperson, Lagos State Task Force on Human Trafficking, said the collaborative effort was aimed at creating an enabling environment that enhanced rescue, referral and reporting between NAPTIP, the state task force and LNSA.
“Human trafficking is the recruitment, transport, harbouring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception to exploit them for profit.
“Men, women, and children from all backgrounds can become victims. Therefore, we must address this at the grassroots level.
“The establishment of this office facilitates easier reporting creating a platform for both victims and non-victims to come forward with crucial information,” he said.
Mr Danilo Campisi, Deputy Country Representative for UNODC said they had supported different levels of intervention for various States Task Forces (STFs) on human trafficking.
The intervention includes capacity building, provision of office equipment for STFs with existing offices as well as the creation of the trafficking in persons office in the premises of LNSA.
“Considering the spread of the operations of the LNSA throughout Lagos, it has become a solid structure to complement NAPTIP in community intelligence gathering, rescue, referral and reporting.
“Therefore, this office is expected to enhance the coordination of the response between NAPTIP, the State Task Force and the LNSA in the identification, prevention and reporting of human trafficking cases in Lagos State,” he said.
The General Manager of LNSA, Dr Ifalade Oyekan, thanked donors and partners for making the establishment of the office a reality and a milestone in the history of the agency.
He said the partnership with NAPTIP was birthed two years ago to strengthen the agency’s operations in the area of human trafficking.
“We have been working in this regard, providing intelligence reports to the appropriate authorities and agencies.
“With this office being commissioned, there’s no doubt that our operations will be strengthened and with the collaborative efforts of the agencies involved, human trafficking can be reduced to the barest minimum,” he said.
He also thanked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his support and for providing the necessary resources to initiate the anti-human trafficking unit of the agency.
On his part, Mr Will Stevens, United States Consul General in Nigeria, said the establishment of the office was critical in strengthening Nigeria’s response to human trafficking.
“By consolidating our efforts and expertise we are here to create the best framework that will not only address the needs of victims but also prevent future trafficking.
“As we inaugurate this office, we renew our commitment to collaborate, share information and continue to improve our efforts,” he said.
(NAN)