NAPTIP Reaches Agreement with Italian Security to Curb Human Trafficking from Nigeria

 

NAPTIP Reaches Agreement with Italian Security to Curb Human Trafficking from Nigeria

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has reached agreement with the security authorities in Italy on how to effectively curtail the menace of trafficking of humans from Nigeria to Italy.

The agreement was reached during a high powered strategic meetings held in Italy between NAPTIP's delegation led by the Director-General, Julie Okah-Donli, and officials of various Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) of Italy.

While the NAPTIP delegation was made up of investigators and prosecutors, that of Italy included the Head of the Italian Anti-mafia and Terrorism department; officials of the Public Safety Department; the Italian Police; the Prosecutors of Palermo and Catania Sicily, handling trafficking and smuggling in migrants issues and investigations among others.

According to Head, Press and Public Relations of NAPTIP, Josiah Emerole, the meetings were sequel to the plans of NAPTIP to deepen its partnership with authorities of destination countries and jointly drawing a road map to crumbling the businesses of those who traffic or smuggle Nigerians to Europe where they are exposed to lives of misery. 

He said the meetings were also aimed at discussing the possibilities of using the criminal evidences in Italy to prosecute criminal gangs of Nigerian origin when they are brought back home.

"One of the resolutions was the proper utilisation of all existing global, mutual or bilateral conventions and protocols on combating trafficking in persons (TIP)  in curbing further trafficking of young persons from Nigeria to Italy," he said.

The statement, however, noted that NAPTIP's DG,  Okah-Donli, used the occasion to call for better partnership between NAPTIP and the Italian security forces in the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of the crime of trafficking in persons.

According to the statement, the DG stressed the need for the Italian authorities and those of other European countries to show more commitment in the fight against human trafficking by arresting and prosecuting their own nationals involved in trafficking.

’We are trying our best in prosecuting our own people, but the fight looks one-sided as we do not hear much of the prosecution of your own people who are involved. Nigerians cannot successfully exploit the victims of trafficking here without effective connivance and collaboration from your people,” she said.

She expressed sadness over the frequent deaths on the Mediterranean sea, and called for an enquiry into the frequency of the incidences along the Mediterranean region.

While calling for joint operations and investigations by operatives in Nigeria and Italy, she requested for the deployment of NAPTIP operatives to select Italian airports, sea and border posts to help in identification and profiling of Nigerian victims and traffickers to ensure that Nigerian victims were not treated like common criminals when intercepted.

While she appealed to the Italian departments and agencies involved in Anti-trafficking matter to involve the Nigerian Embassy more in their activities especially in the  area  of consular assistance to deserving victims, she stressed the need for vigorous prosecution and aggressive campaigns against TIP. 

Other  issues, according to the statement, discussed at the meetings included: expansion of cooperation; information sharing in a timely and open manner; experience exchanges; disclosures on asset of criminal gangs involved in human trafficking; equal arrest of both local and Nigerian traffickers and collaborators; effective cooperation based on signed MOUs, Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA), Extradition Treaty and exchange of prisoners; humane and protective handling of victims of trafficking; seizure and legal confiscation of assets of traffickers abroad and their forfeiture to the victims of trafficking trust fund.