The Director-General of the National Agency for the prohibition of Trafficking In Persons, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, has called for robust collaboration with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to combat human trafficking in Nigeria.
Suleiman-Ibrahim made this appeal during a courtesy call on the CEO/Chairman of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Friday in Abuja.
She said that human trafficking was the modern day slavery.
She added that NAPTIP has the mandate to address, prevent and protect victims from the scourge of human trafficking.
She added that human trafficking was the second largest illegal market churning over $150 billion annually globally.
She said if this was not nipped in the bud, it poses serious threat to national security.
According to Suleiman-Ibrahim, the agency is the forerunner in the fight against human trafficking in Africa, noting that NAPTIP and NiDCOM had been joined together as Siamese twins in the fight against all forms of human trafficking, especially in the Diaspora.
“I applaud Mrs Dabiri-Erewa for your giant strides and for sometimes utilising your personal resources as well as your office to rescue Nigerians stranded abroad during COVID-19 repatriation,” she said.
Suleiman-Ibrahim added that after 17 years of NAPTIP’s establishment, that there was need to rebrand the agency, thereby ushering fresh ideas to catalyse the vision of NAPTIP and seeking partnership among strategic partners like NiDCOM.
She also announced plans to incorporate all States Diaspora focal persons into NAPTIP task force in all states of the federation.
The Director-General pledged to engage the State Diaspora Focal Point Officers, restrategise preventive mechanisms towards discouraging human trafficking, enforcement of Child Right Act and the name-and-shame policy and actualise a Trafficking Trust Fund, among others.
Responding, Dabiri-Erewa commended the NAPTIP boss for her plans to incorporate the state diaspora focal point officers into NAPTIP Task Force in the various states.
She however underscored the need for massive awareness to be created in order to prevent the trail of blood and tears on the youths who are being trafficked.
She added that this could be done through those who have returned from such entrapment of being trafficked to be a medium for the awareness.
She reiterated that the states were key in achieving NAPTIP’s mandate in tackling the issues of trafficking, adding that NiDCOM was looking forward for a fruitful collaboration with the agency.
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