Immigration to tackle human traffickers

Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has vowed to wage war against human trafficking and child labour as a way of making Nigerians to be socially responsible in their various human endeavours within and outside the country.

Addressing officers and men of the Service in Osogbo, the new Acting Comptroller of the Osun State Command, Mr. Mumeen Yusuf Ganiyu, noted that human trafficking and child labour, if allowed in the country, will be inimical to the socio - economic development of any country.

According to him, anybody caught in the act will be seriously dealt with in accordance with the prescribed constitution, as the act is a serious offence in the country.

The Comptroller noted that his official assignment in the state will be strictly observed with caution, transparency, effectiveness and time consciousness.

Mumeen, who opined that measures will be taken to check all illegal immigrants in the state, also enjoined officers and men of Osun Command to always render their service transparently, effectively, cautiously and timely.

He maintained that anything short of those four elements will be inimical to the profession and Nigeria as a nation, saying the end result may not be palatable.

While urging the officers and men of the command to work with ethics to make the command proud of their service to Nigerians, he said indiscipline indolent, intolerance and lack of respect should not be allowed in their work place.

He equally stressed that the only way they can excel is to intensify efforts on companies and hotels around them as to fish out illegal immigrants in the state._ While speaking on the introduction of e - passport, the Comptroller said the revolutionalisation of the system has helped to detect fraud and identify people who perpetrate evil acts.

This Day

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Martins fit for Nations Cup

Obafemi Martins has been declared fit and included in Nigeria's squad for the African Nations Cup finals in Angola, team officials said on Sunday.

The striker had undergone fitness tests at the team's training camp in Durban, South Africa over the weekend before being named in coach Shaibu Amadou's 23-man squad.

Martins underwent surgery on his shin at the end of November after getting injured while playing for Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg.

Nigeria, who play in June's World Cup finals in South Africa, take on Egypt in their opening Nations Cup Group C match on January 12 in Benguela. They also meet Benin and Mozambique in their group.

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Nigeria doctor 'impregnated girls and sold the babies'

Police in Nigeria have arrested a doctor suspected of impregnating girls and selling their babies.

The police said they found five pregnant girls aged between 12 and 17 at the doctor's clinic in the south-eastern town of Enugu.

The police said the man had confessed to getting the girls pregnant and selling their children. He is to face charges in court.

Trafficking is common in Nigeria, with children sold for labour and sex work.

In 2008, police raided a private hospital in Enugu which they said was a "baby farm".

Seven pregnant young women were found.

BBC

Police arrest 132 human traffickers

Alarming increase of Nigerian girls trafficked to Italy

Nigeria is the largest African source of trafficked women to Europe and Asia

Police arrest 132 human traffickers

Human Trafficking Unit of the Nigeria Police Force arrested 132 human traffickers in 2009.

The unit also rescued over 170 victims within the same period.

Head of the Unit, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Juliana Abah, stated that the unit did not go abroad to arrest the traffickers, but they were arrested "internally".

Abah disclosed this at a workshop on "Violence Against Women" in Abuja.

Speaking on efforts by the Nigeria Police on Human Trafficking, she said, "More than 70 young girls were rescued and reintegrated with the families and close to 100 females have been rehabilitated."

She disclosed further that the unit discovered that children were in the majority at the receiving end, saying those who indulged in child sale internally make a whopping gain from such act.

According to her, most of the times the suspects would procure babies from their victims at the sum of N30,000 or N40,000 depending on the sex, and sell for N300,000 or N400,000, also depending on the sex.

Answering questions on efforts being made to checkmate activities of human traffickers, Abah said suspects were being prosecuted at different courts, but advocated for special courts to prosecute human trafficking cases.

She said the demand for special court was necessary going by experiences of the unit in courts, adding that, "We are prosecuting a doctor in Aba for illegal adoption and sale of babies, the prosecution was stalled because the courts were on strike."

This kind of situation, according to her, has made it difficult for suspects to be properly prosecuted.

"We don't have settlement homes, and it becomes difficult for the unit to continue holding victims that could provide evidence in courts," she added

Appreciating efforts of partnering agencies like the UNICEF, UNIFEM, the Inspector General of Police and NAPTIP, for training and retraining officers and creating child-friendly environment, Abah said the unit should be strengthened and equipped.

According to her, more than 5,000 officers were trained and retrained in 2009 and more would be trained and retrained since the unit had offices in all commands in the nation.

On how the unit accesses information on traffickers or their human victims, the ACP said the unit relied on intelligent gathering, surveillance, petitions, complaints and other viable sources.

Daily Independent

Related stories: Alarming increase of Nigerian girls trafficked to Italy

Nigeria is the largest African source of trafficked women to Europe and Asia