Okah-Donli: We’re expecting 5,500 Nigerians from
Libya, Mali
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| Okah-Donli |
The Director General of the National Agency for the
Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Julie Okah-Donli, yesterday
revealed that the agency was going to adopt the whistle blowing policy in order
to check the escalating tide of human trafficking in Nigeria.
Okah-Donli, who addressed journalists at NAPTIP,
Lagos Zonal Command, Ikeja, said: “We’re going to key into the whistle blowing
policy to check human trafficking and child labour. We’re working out
modalities of the award. Those who engage in trafficking of persons and child
labour are not spirits, they live in our neighbourhood. If you see a case of
trafficking or child labour, blowing the whistle.”
The DG, who described human trafficking as a global
phenomenon of serious concern that requires collective efforts in order to
combat it, disclosed that at least 500 Nigerians are expected to be repatriated
from Libya between tomorrow and next week. She noted that 5000 Nigerians are
also awaiting evacuation back to Nigeria.
Her words: “Between February and April this year, no
fewer than 1134 Nigerians have been deported from various parts of the world
back to Nigeria for various migration offences, including human trafficking,
smuggling of migrants, non-possession of valid travel documents amongst others.
Out of the number, a total of 905 were deported from Libya in five batches; 115
from Italy in four batches, 41 from Mali, 26 from Burkina Faso, 14 from Ghana,
22 from the United Arab Emirate (Dubai), One from Cameroun, eight from Cote
D’Ivoire and two from Togo.
“As if that was not enough, on Thursday (tomorrow),
we’re expecting another batch of 250 persons from Libya and another 250 from
the same Libya next week. This number does not include the over 5000, mainly
victims of human trafficking in Mali, awaiting evacuation back home. This is
not good for us as a people and we seek cooperation of all, including
government at all levels to halt this.”
While mapping out her strategy in achieving more
convictions of traffickers and checking the scourge, Okah-Donli said that the
agency would embark the culture of giving high profile cases to law firms to
handle and also train lawyers and judges to understand what trafficking in
person is all about.
She revealed that enlightenment campaigns would be
taken to interior villages, while NAPTIP would synergize with village heads and
law enforcement. She added that NAPTIP officers would be placed at all airports
and borders across the country to stop trafficking.
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