The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on Monday appealed to Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to scale up its intelligence sharing.

According to a statement by Head of Press and Public Relations, Mr Josiah Emerole on Monday in Abuja, NAPTIP’s Director General, Mrs Julie Okah-Donli, said this would boost the coordinated plan to prevent human trafficking and smuggling of migrants from Nigeria.

Mrs Okah-Donli, who led the management team of the agency on a courtesy visit to the Headquarters of the NIS in Abuja, also pleaded for more joint border operations across the country.

She enjoined NIS and other organisations involved in the reception of repatriated Nigerians at various airports in Nigeria to make the exercise as well as the profiling of returnees stress-free in order to reduce their level of trauma.

She called for more collaboration in the fight against human trafficking and smuggling of migrants.

The DG boss described the relationship between the two organisations as “formidable partnership” which had helped in NAPTIP's smooth operation.

“There is no doubt that the NAPTIP and NIS are like Siamese twins whose roles in the fight against irregular migration especially trafficking in persons are quite germane in the development of our dear country.

“Our relationship has blossomed over the years and we must do everything to ensure that it conforms with the good practices needed for quality service delivery to Nigerians and also to help the government achieve its dreams for the people.

“We cherish this relationship and we are ready to do everything within our limits to make it more robust for the benefit of our future the young people who are presently being enslaved by some criminal elements.” Mrs Okah-Donli said.

She explained further that NAPTIP had taken measures to improve on investigation of activities by ensuring more intelligence driven and re-activeness.

She said the days of sitting in the office and waiting for petitions, reports, complaints and transferred cases before the agency would act were over.

“Based on the reforms in operations, we crave the indulgence of the Comptroller General and the NIS generally to join us in making our plans worthwhile.

“And that can be done through more diligent operations of officers and men of the service,” the NAPTIP DG stated. (NAN)

Update news