The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on Monday appealed to Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) to scale up its intelligence sharing.
NAPTIP’s Director General, Mrs Julie Okah-Donli said this in a statement by Head of Press and Public Relations, Mr Josiah Emerole on Monday in Abuja.
Okah-Donli who said this as part of a coordinated plan to prevent human trafficking and smuggling of migrants from Nigeria, also pleaded for more joint border operations across the country.
She made the appeal when she and management of the agency paid a courtesy visit to the Headquarters of the NIS in Abuja.
She enjoined NIS and other organisations involved in the reception of repatriated Nigerians at various Airports in Nigeria to make the reception and profiling of returnees stress free in order to reduce their level of trauma.
She called for more collaboration on the fight against human trafficking and smuggling of migrants.
Okah-Donli described the relationship between the two organisations as “formidable partnership’’ which had helped in the smooth operation of NAPTIP.
“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 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” 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 those days of sitting in the office and waiting for petitions, reports, complaints and transferred cases before the agency would act, was over.
“Based on these 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,” she added. (NAN)
MS/EAL