Human Trafficking: NAPTIP Records 500 Convictions in Benin Zone

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Human Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has recorded over 500 convictions since the first conviction in 2004, according to Barrister Nduka Nnanwenne, the agency’s new zonal commander.

This was revealed by Barrister Nnanwenne at a stakeholder meeting for the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) and Torchlight, a UK organization, which is part of the Countering Serious Organised Crime (SOC-PREVENT) project. The meeting was held at the ANEEJ corporate office in Benin City and was supported by the Home Office.

Barrister Nduka Nnanwenne informed the SOC-Prevent team that NAPTIP would be a partner in the project, but she also revealed that the Federal Executive Council last week approved a four-year National Action Plan for the agency, which stresses raising awareness of the risks associated with human trafficking for both traffickers and victims. The NAP seamlessly integrates with the SOC-PREVENT project, ensuring the agency’s readiness to collaborate with ANEEJ and other CSOs in the state to achieve better outcomes.

“We would do our best to support the project,” Nnanwenne assured. As he welcomed the stakeholders earlier, Rev. David Ugolor, Executive Director of ANEEJ, stated that the project team had been visiting some important stakeholders over the past few weeks, including Mr. Godwin Obaseki, the Governor of Edo State; his deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu; and Barrister Osarodion Ogie, the Governor’s Secretary.

“Prof. Olu Ogunsakin, Mr. Bob Arnot, the technical team’s policy advisor, Matilda Martins, the project director, David Otto, the project lead, Sandra Eguagie, the Edo State project coordinator, and Erhisohwode Assurance Ovie, the filed officer II, were with us.” The State governor gave the project team a warm welcome.”
The goal of the visits, according to Ugolor, was “to introduce the countering Serious Organized Crimes (SOC-Prevent) project to the governor who is the State actor, get his buy-in to provide political support and advice required to successfully implement the SOC-Prevent project in Edo State, adding that support for the project has been massive.” The project team had previously visited the Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture, Ministry of Justice, NAPTIP, Edo State Commissioner of Police, and other stakeholders.

According to the ANEEJ helmsman, during the project’s initial phase, which runs from January to March 2022, it will concentrate on cybercrime and human trafficking, concentrating on two communities in the state’s Oredo and Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Areas in cooperation with pertinent stakeholders.

According to Matilda Martins, the project director, the initiative will be community-owned and run for three years in each of the four states that were chosen (Bayelsa, Edo, Lagos, and Zamfara).

“As essential stakeholders, you must take ownership of this exciting program.”

Project Policy Advisor, Mr. Bob Arnot, stated that the project is based on lessons learned from successful approaches to drug and other SOC problems in the UK in order to find common ground for addressing similar issues in Nigeria using locally applicable solutions. He also noted that the project was for the people of Edo State and that all meeting participants were crucial to the project’s success and were compensated for their active participation.

Project advisor Prof. Ogunsakin expressed his voice on the ownership issue by saying, “The people of Edo State are the owners.” We’ve not come here with an idea to say this is how it should be done,” and harped on the need to target young people with the project.

Mrs. Idienumah Precious Titilayo, a Senior State Council member and representative of the Edo State Ministry of Justice, focused on the necessity for those involved in the justice system to take proactive rather than reactive measures in dealing with Serious Organised Crime. She claimed that the growing number of young people who buy into the “school na scam” cliché is making the appetite of young people for SOCs worsen daily. “We are really on board for this project as cybercrime has metamorphosed into the use of voodoo powers for ritual killings and other dangerous dimensions of the challenge,” Idienumah said.

Countering SOC-Project Lead for Nigeria, Mr. David Otto called on stakeholders for the project to generate data on level of cultism, cybercrime, human trafficking, to inform data-driven advocacy. “To inform ANEEJ’s advocacy work in the states of Edo and Bayelsa, we need data from the EFCC, NAPTIP, and MOJ,” indicated Otto.

The highlight of the event was when Ms. Sandra Eguagie, the Edo State Coordinator, gave an overview of the project. Comments, Questions and answers followed her presentation.