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.
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