The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Fatima Waziri-Azi, has called for collaboration and mutual support of the Italian government in the fight against human trafficking.
She made the call in Abuja on Wednesday while receiving the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Stefano Pontesilli.
“Italy is regarded as one of the European major destinations for victims of human trafficking from Nigeria and the embassy has consistently offered support to NAPTIP in its counter-trafficking activities since its inception,” she said.
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She called for a renewed collaboration that would lead to more convictions of human traffickers operating between Nigeria and Italy.
Responding, Pontesilli described the NAPTIP as a very important and strategic partner of the Italian Government in the fight against human trafficking.
He recalled that the Italian Embassy had a mutually benefiting relationship and cooperation with the NAPTIP in the past and promised to work more closely with the Director-General to ensure a smooth relationship between the agency and the Italian authorities.
It was earlier reported that, Edo State of Nigeria has built formidable structures and systems to receive and re-integrate victims of human trafficking and illegal migration who are indigenes of the state, the State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki said during the week.
Obaseki was Speaking at the International Conference on Women Empowerment and the Fight Against Trafficking in Persons: Partnership Between Nigeria and Italy, organized by the President of Italian Chamber of Deputies, Ms. Laura Boldrini, in Rome, Italy.
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; President of Italian Chamber of Deputies, Ms Laura Boldrini and Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara at the International Conference on Women Empowerment and the Fight Against Trafficking in Persons: Partnership Between Nigeria and Italy in Rome, Italy
He said the state government needs support to sustain its efforts and ensure that youths do not have reasons to embark on treacherous journeys.
It would be recalled that the government recently received three batches of over 200 returnees from Libya, who were subsequently enrolled in capacity development programs and placed on a stipend for three months.
The government has also set up a task-force to oversee the process of rehabilitating and assimilating returnees and has sent a bill to the Edo State House of Assembly, for the enactment of a law to strengthen the fight against human trafficking in the state.
Obaseki said that the state requires huge funds to sustain the rehabilitation of the returnees, noting, “we are spending a lot to reintegrate these young people into the society and we anticipate that the expenses would be more in the nearest future.
Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Kabiru Adjoto; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; President of Italian Chamber of Deputies, Ms Laura Boldrini; Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara at the International Conference on Women Empowerment and the Fight Against Trafficking in Persons: Partnership Between Nigeria and Italy in Rome, Italy
“We solicit for support from the European Union, the Italian government as well as other countries affected by this menace to be able to sustain the structures we have set up in the state.”
“All parties affected by the menace of human trafficking both the countries of origin and the destination countries stand to benefit from the system we have set up in Edo State to engage these youths, which would give them no reason to contemplate migrating illegally. So, we want to strengthen these structures in Edo State to make staying back and working gainfully the preferred choice,” he said.
On indigenes who are victims of human trafficking and are willing to return to the state, the governor said, “We acknowledge the fact that they are victims, and in many instances, they are entangled in human trafficking due to no fault of theirs. We are extending an open hand to them, and assuring them of support when they return.”
