NAPTIP Arrests 425 Human Traffickers In S’South

The National Agency For Prohibition of Traffic In Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) says it has arrested 425 human traffickers in the last five years within the South-South zone of the country.

The zonal head of NAPTIP, Mr Peter Simon Essien, disclosed this on Wednesday in a paper on human trafficking and child labour he presented during the Nigeria Immigration Service stakeholders conference, organised by the immigration service in Port Harcourt.

Mr Essien said it was estimated that the number of Nigerian girls that had been recruited into sex slavery in Italy through this means alone constituted over 80 per cent of African prostitutes in Italy.

He noted, “although men are also victims, the overwhelming majority of those trafficked are women and children and our estimate shows that between one and two million children are trafficked each year worldwide for forced labour, domestic servitude or sexual exploitation.”

He also said that the agency had been working in partnership with its sister law enforcement agencies like Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), among others and other stakeholders like Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) in the fight to crack down  human traffickers.

The agency’s zonal head called for all hands to be on deck to fight the menace of human trafficking.

In his speech, the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi tasked the Nigerian Immigration Service to evolve measures that would check the menace of human trafficking in the country.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Magnus Abe, the governor stressed the need for the service to look inwards for the fight against human trafficking, and thanked them for the choice of Port Harcourt for the conference.

In her keynote address, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mrs Rose Uzoma said that the conference was aimed at reappraising the performances of the service in the last fifty years with a view to planning ahead.

According to her, the programme would bring to the fore the contributions of the service to the development of the nation.

Earlier, the state Comptroller of the service, Mr Steve Fimibama explained that the Nigeria Immigration Service which is a stakeholder in the Nigerian project could stand aloof in the on-going reflections and debates on its relevance to the development of the nation.

Peace Anaele & Kelechi Awuloha