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FG Remained Committed to Scaling Up Social Investment Programmes- Fagbemi

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FG Remained Committed to Scaling Up Social Investment Programmes- Fagbemi

By: Michael Mike

The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to scaling social investment programmes to provide livelihood support to Nigerians in order to immunized them from being vulnerable to human trafficking.

The plan was disclosed on Monday in Abuja by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Lateef Fagbemi at the Opening of the 26th National Stakeholders Consultative Forum on Human Trafficking.

He said: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s led government recognizes that addressing poverty and underdevelopment is crucial in preventing human trafficking. Investing in people, especially young people and the disadvantaged, reduces the desperation that drives individuals into exploitation abroad.”

He added that: “The government remains committed to scaling social investment programs to provide livelihood support, deterring potential victims from falling prey to traffickers.

He noted that: “The National Stakeholders Consultative Forum on Human Trafficking, instituted by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), serves as a vital strategic coordination body. It facilitates dialogue and collaboration among relevant stakeholders at both the federal and sub-national levels, enabling the initiation of plans, review of strategies, and sharing of information on different approaches to combating Trafficking in Persons in Nigeria.”

He said: “Human trafficking preys on the most vulnerable members of our society and demands a holistic and concerted response from all sectors. The complexity of counter-human trafficking efforts in Nigeria lies in the intricacies of our social fabric and the trans-national nature of the crime.

“Traffickers exploit the vulnerabilities of people, leveraging poverty, lack of education, and unemployment to ensnare their victims with promises of a better life. The porous nature of our borders and the sophisticated networks of these criminals further compound the challenge of combatting this menace.”

Fagbemi lamented that: “Nigeria, with her rich cultures and peoples, unfortunately serves as a source, transit and destination country for victims of human trafficking. This menace has occasioned great damage to the reputation or profiling of Nigeria in the international community. The statistics paint a grim picture, but behind each number lies the stories of those whose freedom and dignity have been truncated. Yet, amidst these challenges, hope remains, and we must reverse this ugly trend.”

He however said: “We must acknowledge the outstanding efforts of Nigeria in operating a unique counter-trafficking model emulated by other African countries. Nigeria has demonstrated its commitments through not only in high number of convictions but also with the successful rescue and rehabilitation of thousands of victims alongside strategic preventive measures.”

He admitted that the fight against human trafficking cannot be shouldered by a single agency or arm of government, stating that it demands a collective effort involving civil society, the private sector, international organisations, communities, and the people.

He said: “I therefore call upon everyone to join hands in this critical fight. This global threat, therefore, requires a coordinated and meaningful response at all levels. Which is why cooperation, communication and information sharing, with our international partners are also key in determining the pace and effectiveness in the delivery of anti-human trafficking responses.”

The Justice Minister said: “I am aware that the National Action Plan on Human Trafficking in Nigeria (2022-2026) outlines the roles of all actors. I urge everyone to not only study the document with specific interest in the thematic areas that fall within their respective mandates, but to ensure effective implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

“Furthermore, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration and the Presidential Priorities as it relates with the mandate of NAPTIP, I implore all stakeholders to work in unison to meet these priorities. On the part of the Federal Ministry of Justice as NAPTIP’s supervising ministry, we will continue to support this critical agency in fulfilling its robust mandate,” he assured.

Earlier, the Director General of NAPTIP, Prof. Prof Fatima Waziri – Azi, in her welcome remarks, said since the last meeting in April 2022, a lot have been achieved in the fight against human trafficking in the country, she stated that:
“We have not merely inched forward; we have surged ahead with resolve. We have witnessed the incredible power of cooperation and the unwavering dedication of countless individuals who have come together to combat the injustice of human trafficking. Due to these collaborative efforts, we had a number of firsts in 2023.”

Waziri-Azi who highlighted the numerous firsts the agency was able to achieve in 2023, also said: “We received and investigated 968 human trafficking complaints. 507 (68.1) internal trafficking complaints and 303 (31.9) external trafficking complaints

“In terms of prosecution, 86 cases were charged to court and 67 convictions were secured.

“We rescued, received and supported 2112 victims (473 Males and 1,639 Females). Females constituted 77.6% of the total victims out of which 43,4% were children.

“Benue State had the highest number of indigenes rescued in 2023 followed by Edo, Ondo, and Akwa Ibom state.

“Rescued and received 47 victims of inward trafficking mostly from west African countries

“We have already secured 14 convictions in 2024 and counting with 243 cases pending before various courts across the country.”

She said the agency has identified emerging trends and patterns in human trafficking for 2023 and already in 2024, “we are seeing incremental cases of trafficking to Vietnam for labor exploitation.”

The DG said: “We remain grateful to the Swiss and Dutch governments through UNODC for making this 2-day event possible. I also thank and acknowledge our other partners; ICMPD, Expertise France, IOM, and OHCRH who will  be moderating sessions during these 2 day programme.”

FG Remained Committed to Scaling Up Social Investment Programmes- Fagbemi

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State Actors Grumble Over Operational Allowances Within the Hadin Kai Theatre.

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State Actors Grumble Over Operational Allowances Within the Hadin Kai Theatre.

By: Bodunrin Kayode

There is a quiet grumble within the ranks of the Joint Security team in the Hadin Kai theatre with an allegation that some forward operational bases are paid discriminatory allowances.

Some sources within the non military rankings who spoke with this reporter claim that their military colleagues in some forward operational bases (FOB) are actually paid higher than the rest of them by the pay masters who are supposed to release these funds.

This has actually led to a silent outcry by some of the security personnel within the ranks of the Hadin Kai theatre who have decried what they described as the unnecessary disparity between their operational allowances and that of the military.

“There has been some underground grumbling within the ranks of the uniformed personnel in the Hadin Kai theatre over allowances and I am talking about the para military and the police who are in the team in this very sector one.

” From our investigation, it has never happened before and that makes it strange and we believe it is not known to the theatre commander (TC) who we all know as a just man who wants all of us to be happy.

” And that is why we are passing this injustice through you people because you are equal partners in the battles we are fighting against our common enemy because we believe the wrong will be reversed as soon as he gets to hear.

“At our own FOB for now, I can say the drilling for crude oil has stopped but we are pinning the ground against the criminals. And I must tell you, the main challenges here is water we don’t have enough water and the food served is not that good.

“we have only been allocated two bags of water for one week in this hot weather and the allowance given is 31,000 naira while the military is 45,000 naira sir.

“So why is there a difference in the money while both of us are working in the same assignment. Before the allowance was N45,000 and was equal to that of the Army but now they have reduced non military to N31,000 and they expect us to pay returns of 5,000 inside the same N31,000” Said the angry operative.

Operatives of operation Hadin Kai are made up mostly of the entire military, Federal Police, immigration, customs, Civil defence, custodial service, vigilante and the civilian jtf.

In spite of all these collaboration among services which includes the state security services sometimes, the war has gone on for almost 17 years with no sign of a true, seize fire, table negotiations or a total end of the hostilities between the country and non state actors.

State Actors Grumble Over Operational Allowances Within the Hadin Kai Theatre.

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Grumble within ranks in joint security team in Borno

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Grumble within ranks in joint security team in Borno

By: Bodunrin Kayode

There is a quiet grumble within the ranks of the Joint Security team in the Hadin Kai theatre with an allegation that some forward operational bases are paid discriminatory allowances.

Some sources within the non military rankings who spoke with this reporter claim that their military colleagues in some forward operational bases (FOB) are actually paid higher than the rest of them by the pay masters who are supposed to release these funds.

This has actually led to a silent outcry by some of the security personnel within the ranks of the Hadin Kai theatre who have decried what they described as the unnecessary disparity between their operational allowances and that of the military.

“There has been some underground grumbling within the ranks of the uniformed personnel in the Hadin Kai theatre over allowances and I am talking about the para military and the police who are in the team in this very sector one.

” From our investigation, it has never happened before and that makes it strange and we believe it is not known to the theatre commander (TC) who we all know as a just man who wants all of us to be happy.

” And that is why we are passing this injustice through you people because you are equal partners in the battles we are fighting against our common enemy because we believe the wrong will be reversed as soon as he gets to hear.

“At our own FOB for now, I can say the drilling for crude oil has stopped but we are pinning the ground against the criminals. And I must tell you, the main challenges here is water we don’t have enough water and the food served is not that good.

“we have only been allocated two bags of water for one week in this hot weather and the allowance given is 31,000 naira while the military is 45,000 naira sir.

“So why is there a difference in the money while both of us are working in the same assignment. Before the allowance was N45,000 and was equal to that of the Army but now they have reduced non military to N31,000 and they expect us to pay returns of 5,000 inside the same N31,000” Said the angry operative.

Operatives of operation Hadin Kai are made up mostly of the entire military, Federal Police, immigration, customs, Civil defence, custodial service, vigilante and the civilian jtf.

In spite of all these collaboration among services which includes the state security services sometimes, the war has gone on for almost 17 years with no sign of a true, seize fire, table negotiations or a total end of the hostilities between the country and non state actors.

Grumble within ranks in joint security team in Borno

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EU Commits €235 Million to Tackle Escalating Humanitarian Crises in West and Central Africa

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EU Commits €235 Million to Tackle Escalating Humanitarian Crises in West and Central Africa

By: Michael Mike

The European Commission has unveiled a €235 million humanitarian aid package aimed at addressing the deepening crises across West and Central Africa, where conflict, hunger, displacement, and climate shocks continue to devastate millions of lives.

The funding will target the region’s most vulnerable populations, including those affected by armed conflicts, food insecurity, forced displacement, and communities cut off from essential services. A significant portion—€75 million—has been earmarked for the Central Sahel, widely regarded as the epicentre of the region’s instability.

Other allocations include more than €72 million for Chad, €33 million for Nigeria, €22 million for the Central African Republic, €16.6 million for Cameroon, €4.8 million for Mauritania, and over €6 million for coastal countries. An additional €6.4 million will support region-wide humanitarian initiatives.

Announcing the intervention, Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, described the situation as a convergence of multiple emergencies.

“West and Central Africa is facing a storm of humanitarian crises, driven by conflict, poverty, hunger, instability, and climate shocks,” she said, recalling firsthand encounters with displaced families during a visit to Chad.

According to Lahbib, the aid will provide critical relief, including food, clean water, healthcare, shelter, and access to education for children whose lives have been disrupted by violence and displacement.

The region’s humanitarian situation remains dire, with conflicts in the Central Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin continuing to spill across borders, intensifying instability in coastal nations and triggering widespread displacement. The ongoing crisis in Sudan has further strained resources in eastern Chad, while separate emergencies persist in north-western Nigeria, parts of Cameroon, and the Central African Republic.

The European Union reiterated its commitment to acting as a reliable humanitarian partner, emphasizing that the intervention is designed not only to save lives but also to restore dignity and hope for affected communities.

EU Commits €235 Million to Tackle Escalating Humanitarian Crises in West and Central Africa

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