MARTIN TACHIO
…commends agency’s determination to stamp out cultism
National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has pledged full collaboration with Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices in its quest to stamp out cultism, other vices and human trafficking in Nigeria.
This assurance was made by the Director General of NAPTIP, Imaan Sulieman-Ibrahim, when the National Coordinator of POCACOV, CSP Ebere Amaraizu, paid her a courtesy visit in Abuja.
POCACOV National Coordinator, CSP Amaraizu while addressing the NAPTIP DG and other NAPTIP senior officers, said that the agency’s programme is informed, firstly, by the realisation that there is a correlation between cultism and other violent crimes involving youth population.
He also said deep-rooted and socially-driven crimes like cultism and human trafficking are best mitigated through a strategy premised on community policing practices which encourages building partnerships towards addressing delinquencies that threaten communal values.
He said, “These are the core reason why POCACOV seeks to collaborate with NAPTIP, been the Federal Government Agency charged with the responsibility of coordinating all the nation’s crime prevention and law enforcement resources to stamp out human trafficking and uplift the vulnerable from exploitative tendencies.”
Amaraizu stated that the “campaign is anchored on the principles of community policing, which the Inspector General of Police Abubakar Adamu held a strong view that all states of the federation and government agencies should embrace and domesticate for the overall security of the nation.”
Some materials were later presented to the NAPTIP DG, which included a book written by a POCACOV stakeholder, Peterson Ojieson, titled, “Finding Europe through Africa’s Deserts and seas: a story of perils, triumphs and Karma”
This is a true life story about Mr Peterson’s travails while seeking assumed greener pasture and became a victim of human trafficking.
Responding, the Director General of NAPTIP, Imaan Sulieman-Ibrahim, assured of the Agency’s collaboration and called on Mr Peterson to be part of NAPTIP enlightenment resource team as a survivor of human trafficking.
She emphasised that three most common types of human trafficking are sex trafficking, forced labour, and debt bondage.
NAPTIP DG equally urged POCACOV to be part of the agency’s virtual training and assist the agency in information sharing and networking, being a community driven campaign. Other members of the POCACOV team on the visit included IGP consultant on Media, Shina Philips; POCACOV stakeholder, Peterson Ojieson and POCACOV National Media Officer, Onuora Aninwobodo.