NIDCOM, NAPTIP Urge FG to Declare War on Human Trafficking

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has called for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches against human trafficking in the country.

She made the declaration at a strategic meeting with the Director General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Hajia Binta Adamu Bello, at NiDCOM Headquarters in Abuja.

Dabiri-Erewa, who noted that while progress has been made, more needs to be done stressed the traffickers should be named and shamed by enforcing stricter penalties as a deterrent to other criminal actors.

She said NAPTIP cannot work alone and called for closer collaboration with NiDCOM, the National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), and other sister agencies, to curb the menace.

The NiDCOM boss thanked the support of the First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), neighbouring governments, Nigerian Diaspora Communities, Wema Bank and NGOs for helping to rescue and reintegrate trafficked victims.

She commended the NAPTIP DG for her dedication and pledged continued support adding, “we will continue to do our best to save these young ones and encourage safe and regular pathways for migration.”

Like NiDCOM, Bello also pushed for more flexible policies and better funding to help NAPTIP to fully carry out its mandate against the menace.

NAPTIP Chairman thanked Dabiri-Erewa for NiDCOM’s support, especially in the recent rescue of 231 young Nigerians from Ghana. She agreed that tackling human trafficking requires joint action from government, society, and key stakeholders.

NAPTIP boss stressed the need for more awareness across all levels to highlight the dangers of trafficking.

She said, “We rescued last week 19 girls all pregnant for one man in an estate in Abuja, received nine girls from Cote D’ivoire, and other sordid stories not to mention here.”

Recognising NiDCOM’s role in engaging with Nigerians in the diaspora, she expressed her commitment to strengthening the NiDCOM-NAPTIP relationship.

Bello assured that the Agency will continue to protect the rights and dignity of Nigerians against trafficking in persons.