The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, has raised alarm over the prevalence of irregular migration in the 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria.
Media Talk Africa reports that the Zonal Commander of the agency in Edo State, Mr Ganiu Aganran, raised the alarm when the Edo Migration Agency, EDSMA, led by its Director General, Lucky Agazuma, paid him a courtesy visit in Benin City.
Aganran, who expressed worry that there is no state in the country that is not endemic in trafficking in persons and illegal migration, added that Edo State was still highly endemic to the social crimes.
He, however, urged the Edo State migration agency to work with the NAPTIP in the area of investigation, arrest, prosecution and coordinated public awareness programmes.
He said the call for EDSMA to work in the area of investigation, arrest, prosecution of suspects among others was because the state was highly endemic in trafficking in person and irregular migration.
“In Nigeria now, there is no state that is not endemic in trafficking in persons and illegal migration. Even all the local government areas across the country are now endemic in trafficking in person and irregular migration.
“NAPTIP uses five approaches of policy, partnership, protection, prosecution and prevention in tackling trafficking in persons and irregular migration,” he said.
Aganran posited that NAPTIP, as a law enforcement agency of the federal government, had the power to arrest, investigate, prosecute and rescue victims and also empower them.
While also urging EDSMA to work together with the agency in awareness creation and intelligence sharing, he, advised the management of the state’s agency not to hesitate to call on it when there is need for referral of cases, arrest and investigation.
He assured that NAPTIP was ready to partner with EDSMA as they were both aiming at the same goal, just as he also advised it, EDSMA, to latch on to the NAPTIP experience to do the right thing from inception.
Earlier, Mr Lucky Agazuma, EDSMA’s director general said they were at NAPTIP’s office to strengthen the existing collaboration and partnership between the two organisations.
Agazuma, noted that the collaboration with NAPTIP was to build a stronger relationship that would enable the EDSMA to address the issue of human trafficking in the state.
“We are also here to let you know that Edo State Taskforce on Human Trafficking has metarmophosed into Edo State Migration Agency and seek your support and collaboration in tackling trafficking and illegal migration in the state,” he stated.
