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Waziri-Azu: NAPTIP Would Continue to Improve Operational Horizon

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Waziri-Azu: NAPTIP Would Continue to Improve Operational Horizon

By: Michael Mike

The Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Prof. Fatima Waziri – Azi has assured that the agency will continue to expand its operational horizon through improved partnership, enhanced partnership with all stakeholders as well as diligent prosecution of offenders, to outsmart the criminal elements.

The Director General also cautioned desperate Nigerians against indiscriminate migration in the name of the popular “Japa” so as not to be enslaved by migrant smugglers who are poised at preying on their ignorance and vulnerability with the attendance consequences of mindless exploitation.

Waziri – Azi, stated this on the Special Edition of the online interactive programme tagged “Conversation with NAPTIP”, put together as part of the activities to mark the 20th Anniversary of the establishment of the agency and the 2023 World Day Against Human Trafficking.

Conversation with NAPTIP is a specially designed platform that promotes mutual interaction between the agency and stakeholders for the purpose of enlightenment and feedback engagement in order to improve service delivery.

The Director General disclosed some of the modest achievements of the agency within the past 20 years to include the conviction of 624 traffickers, the rescue of over 22,000 victims of trafficking, sponsoring of 19 survivors through University Education, development of several counter–trafficking policies, engagement with diverse stakeholders including the Justice sector through the National Judicial Institute (NJI) and global partnership with critical partners to counter the emerging trends in human trafficking.

On the dynamism of human trafficking in Nigeria and the response of the agency in tackling them, Waziri – Azi reiterated that human trafficking has assumed a national spread across the country with the emerging trends including an increase in online catfishing of youngsters by traffickers, fake job offers and advertorials, fake scholarship offers increase trafficking under cover of sporting activities, orphanage trafficking as well as buying and selling of babies.

She said: “In the past 20 years, the crime of human trafficking has evolved in terms of trends and patterns. But, one thing I can say for sure is that Nigeria is better poised to tackle the issues of human trafficking.”

She added that through partnerships with global anti-trafficking Law Enforcement Agencies and corporate bodies such as Meta, owner of Facebook, and the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, the Agency has been able to tackle them effectively.

On the nagging issues of mass exodus of Nigeria abroad, the Director General who appreciated the concerns and plights of Nigerians who daily seek alternative places to settle outside the country, urged them to be mindful of the Red Flag associated with human trafficking in order to avoid exploitation.

She said: “If you must Japa, Japa the right way. Migrate legally. Nobody is saying you should not travel. Nobody is saying you should not aspire more than what you are now. But, the point is, you have to do your homework. You have to do your research. You must ask the right questions.
And this attitude of Nigerians going through a middle person, people must learn to own the process.

“You must know the red flags. When someone tells you that he wants to sponsor you abroad and the next thing is that he starts manipulating your personal information on your passport. They change your name, they changed your age, they changed your date of birth, that is a red flag. Or when someone tells you that I want to take you to Italy and the next thing is that you see yourself in a bus going to Seme border or you see yourself going through Jibia border, that in itself is a red flag.”

Waziri – Azi while expressing appreciation to all partners for their sustained support and collaboration with the agency since its creation, declared that her projection is to place the agency on a sound pedestal as a foremost counter trafficking agency within the comity of nations through the potent implementation of all the relevant laws and ensuring that Nigeria is safe from all forms of trafficking and exploitation.

The online engagement provided an opportunity for many partners within and outside the country to ask questions about the activities of the agency.

Waziri-Azu: NAPTIP Would Continue to Improve Operational Horizon

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Troops clear bandits’ camps, rescue victims, recover arms in Bauchi

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Troops clear bandits’ camps, rescue victims, recover arms in Bauchi

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops under Operation WUTAN DAJI have cleared several bandits’ camps, rescued kidnapped victims and recovered arms during clearance operations in Bauchi State.

Security sources said troops of 33 Artillery Brigade Garrison, in conjunction with elements of the Brigade Headquarters and a team from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), carried out the operation in Kumbodoro forest and Kumbodoro village.

According to the sources, the operation was led by the Commander, 33 Artillery Brigade, Brig.-Gen. S.S. Shehu, as part of ongoing efforts to rid the area of criminal elements.

They added that several bandits’ camps, including Azuge camps, were cleared during the operation, while a number of the criminals were neutralised.

Items recovered include four skeletal rifles, four dane guns, two pairs of boots, three helmets, a power bank, a Startimes decoder, one FN rifle magazine, one AK-47 magazine, communication links, a jackknife, six mobile phones, arrows, radio chargers, ATM cards, photographs, identity cards, as well as several pairs of security agency uniforms and leg chains.

The sources further disclosed that eight kidnapped victims were rescued during the operation.

They said troops are currently holding position within the Kumbodoro forest to consolidate gains from the clearance mission.

In a related development, the sources said troops deployed at Duguri, in collaboration with local vigilantes, recovered 36 cows at Mushen Kura village following information that the animals were roaming the area.

“The cows are suspected to have fled from bandits’ camps due to the ongoing operations and are currently in custody for further action,” the sources said.

They noted that troops’ morale and combat efficiency remain high, while operations continue to deny bandits freedom of action in the region.

Troops clear bandits’ camps, rescue victims, recover arms in Bauchi

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Joint security forces raid herders’ camp in Rivers, recover arms and ammunition

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Joint security forces raid herders’ camp in Rivers, recover arms and ammunition

By: Zagazola Makama

Joint security operatives under the Joint Task Force, South-South, Operation Delta Safe, have raided a suspected herders’ camp in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, recovering arms and ammunition.

Security sources said the operation was carried out at about 1:30 p.m. on April 12 along the IPO community axis by troops of 6 Division Garrison in collaboration with personnel of the Air Force, Navy, Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and Civil Defence Corps.

According to the sources, the raid targeted identified herders’ and cattle rearers’ camps in the area.

They added that items recovered during the operation include one AK-47 rifle, one pump-action gun, 274 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and four mobile phones.

The sources noted that the operation is part of ongoing efforts to curb illegal possession of firearms and enhance security across the Niger Delta region.

Joint security forces raid herders’ camp in Rivers, recover arms and ammunition

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Zulum establishes quarry centre, procures 70 trucks for infrastructure development

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Zulum establishes quarry centre, procures 70 trucks for infrastructure development

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has announced the establishment of a quarry centre in Pulka, Gwoza Local Government Area, to accelerate infrastructure development in the state.

Zulum made this announcement on Monday while flagging off the distribution of 70 brand-new Howo pickup trucks to the Ministry of Works and the State Road Maintenance Agency (BORMA) at the Government House.

The 70 Howo trucks are designed to boost the operational capacity of the Ministry of Works and its supervising agencies. The trucks will enable the swift delivery of materials to sites and faster intervention on distressed roads.

According to the governor, the quarry centre will provide locally sourced materials including granite, gravel and sharp sand to support ongoing and future road projects, reducing dependence on external suppliers and cutting costs.

“We have achieved a lot in health, education, agriculture, security, and road construction among others. However, we still have challenges of constructing roads within the state, especially in rural communities,” Zulum said.

“My administration has established a quarry plant in Pulka with a processing capacity of 120 tons per hour. The State Government spent at least 3 billion to establish the quarry plant”, he added.

According to the governor, due to the prevailing insecurity, most contractors are not willing to work in Borno.

“You know, no serious contractor will take the risk of deploying his equipment to most of the implementing areas, so this is the reason we are here”, the governor reinstated.

“So, we have no option but to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Works, the capacity of Borno State Road Maintenance Agency (BORMA), the capacity of special projects, monitoring departments and other MDAs that are responsible for road construction.”

The brief ceremony was attended by the Secretary to Borno State Government, Bukar Tijani, Acting Chief of Staff, Dr Babagana Mustapha Mallumbe, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Works, Engr Baware, BORMA Chairman, Engr Sadu Auno, the Special Adviser on Monitoring and Evaluation, Engr Bukar Gujubawu and other senior officials.

Zulum establishes quarry centre, procures 70 trucks for infrastructure development

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