Nigeria has restated commitment to zero intolerance for
human trafficking, saying it had put in place strong measures to reduce the
menace to the barest minimum in the country. The Ambassador/Permanent
Representative of Nigeria to Vienna, Mrs Vivian Okeke, stated this in New York,
at the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Appraisal of the UN
Global Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons.
Okeke said Nigeria
considered the meeting very important in view of the need for global solidarity
and cooperation to fight trafficking in persons. “Nigeria is not exempted from the scourge. It
has been both a destination country and an export country where vulnerable
persons, especially young women and boys, are lured across the Sahara to other
continents, especially Europe. “Our Government has zero tolerance for
trafficking of human beings, whether young or old, men or women. This is why we
put in place strong institutional measures and legislations,’’ she said.
The ambassador said
the measures would ensure that those engaged in such illegal acts to face the
full wrath of the law. “Nigeria has long
criminalised trafficking in persons and has taken several efforts to actualise
our national priorities at fighting the menace.” Okeke said one of the measures
taken by Nigeria against human trafficking was the establishment of a permanent
mechanism – the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (
NAPTIP ).
The Nigerian envoy said NAPTIP was established in 2003 to
rescue, assist, and support and cater for victims of human trafficking as well
as arrest, prosecute and jail the perpetrators. She also said the Trafficking
in Persons Enforcement and Administration Act of 2015 had broadened the scope
of national legislation against trafficking in Nigeria.
According to her,
Nigeria can be classified as one of the few countries in the world that has in
operation, potent legislative regime against trafficking in persons. “Nigeria has expanded its prosecution
mechanism against trafficking in persons. ‘’In this regard, and going by the
recent statistics from NAPTIP, 345 victims of trafficking were rescued during
the first quarter of this year. “This figure brings the total number of persons
rescued from trafficking, since the establishment of NAPTIP to 10,815. “In the
area of prosecution and arrest, 90 traffickers were arrested for various forms
of human trafficking during the same period.
“This figure
includes 50 females and 40 males. Also, of the 42 cases referred to various
courts for prosecution, 22 have been successfully charged and prosecuted. “Nigeria
has also strengthened international partnership and collaboration in the area
of fighting trafficking in persons. “This collaboration has yielded mileage in
the rescue of victims as well as prosecution of human traffickers. “For
instance, out of 345 victims rescued by NAPTIP in the first quarter of this
year, 288, representing 83.5 per cent of those rescued were through
international collaboration and partnership.
The Nigerian envoy
called on the global community to intensify supports for the operation of the
United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking. This she said became necessary to make it
relevant to the fight against trafficking in persons. “Nigeria reaffirms its
commitment to the efforts of United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime and
Inter-Agency Coordination Against Trafficking in Persons in sustained
operations to end trafficking in persons. “We, therefore, advise against any
attempt to undermine the work of these bodies in their collective efforts to
discharge their mandates.
NAN
No comments:
Post a Comment