The
National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related
Matters (NAPTIP), has commended the crew members of Airpeace for being able to
stop the trafficking of a Nigerian baby to Gambia.
The
Director General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli, while commending the crew
members for their astuteness, explained that the crew on board Air Peace Lagos
– Banjul flight P47560 on 4th June, 2018, had intercepted two women
and rescued a three-month-old baby suspected to being trafficked out of Nigeria
to Gambia.
She
said: “We are here to honour the patriotic humane action of a group of
extra-ordinary men and women that operated on Air peace Lagos- Banjul flight
P47560 on 4th June 2018. The vigilant crew foiled an attempt by two
Nigerian women to traffic a baby boy from Nigeria to Banjul, Gambia. The drama
started aboard the flight when the supposed mother could not breastfeed the
baby boy, who was crying persistently. She rather asked the crew for water to
feed the baby. This aroused the suspicion of the crew members who tipped off
the Airport security on arrival in Banjul. With the support of our partners in
Gambia, The National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (NAATIP) modeled
after NAPTIP Nigeria, the suspects, Mrs Edith Omon Anthony Ibeneme and Mrs.
Andy Emerald Bassey were arrested and the baby was rescued.
“This
ceremony represents NAPTIP’s determination to recognize and encourage such
feats which contribute to the stemming of the tide of human trafficking in
Nigeria and it is an expression of gratitude of the whole nation especially the
vulnerable women and children who are trafficked out of Nigeria in their
thousands yearly.”
She
also disclosed that hope has risen for thousands of victims of human
trafficking across the country as Airpeace has offered employment to the
victims as part of its corporate social responsibilities toward the eradication
of the menace.
In
addition, the management of the company has offered its brand platform to NAPTIP
for sensitization and massive awareness creation in order to reduce the
vulnerability of the victims.
This
was the outcome of the visit of Okah-Donli, to the Headquarters of the airline
in Ikeja Lagos. The NAPTIP boss had visited the airline to honour the
management of Air Peace limited and present ambassadorial medals to its crew
members.
Speaking
shortly before decorating the crew members with the ambassadorial medals, Okah-Donli,
said: “We are here today to commemorate an event of great national and
international significance in the collective efforts of men and women of
goodwill all over the world to eradicate the evil of human trafficking from the
globe.”
The
Chairman of Air Peace Limited, Chief Allen Onyema, commended Okah-Donli for her
efforts in the fight against human trafficking and announced plan by the
management of the Airline to offer some employment slots for victims of human
trafficking rescued by the Agency.
Onyema
also said the Company shall continue to partner with NAPTIP to step up
sensitization and awareness creation by using the various platforms and brand
spaces of the Airline.
He
called on other corporate bodies to join hands with NAPTIP to eradicate human
trafficking in Nigeria noting that human trafficking remains a major threat to
any generation.
No comments:
Post a Comment