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NAPTIP Commences Rehabilitation of Victims of Human Trafficking

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NAPTIP Commences Rehabilitation of Victims of Human Trafficking

By: Michael
Mike

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has commenced comprehensive rehabilitation procedure and interview session with the rescued victims of human trafficking, Miss Odunayo Isaac, who arrived Nigeria from Iraq few days ago.

The session commenced on the order of the
Director General of the agency Binta Bello, who directed Officers of the Counselling and Rehabilitation Department of the Agency as well as Operatives of the Intelligence and International Cooperation Unit (IICU) to immediately undertake the procedures while receiving the victim.

It would be recalled that NAPTIP, in collaboration with other partners, including members of the Civil Society Organisation and foreign agencies, had facilitated Miss Eniola Isaac’s return from Baghdad following a viral video and media reports that escalated her ordeal in the hands of the Iraqi taskmaster.

The victim arrived in Nigeria through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and was received by NAPTIP Operatives after the initial arrival procedures by the Officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on duty at the airport.

Speaking while receiving the victim at the agency headquarters, Abuja, the Director General expressed sadness over the traumatic experience and the hardship faced by the victim and ordered the immediate commencement of a comprehensive rehabilitation programme, counseling as well as an interview to ascertain the medical status, nature of assistance needed, and immediate psychosocial need of the victim.

The Director General said: “I just finished interaction with the victim. I must say that she had a close shave with death and we are all happy that she is alive to tell her painful story.

“On 22nd January 2023, she left Nigeria and arrived in Baghdad, Iraq the next day; 23rd January 2023 and was received at the Airport by officials of WB Warani Manpower (Company she was registered to work for). She was taken to the hospital on the 24th January 2023 to certify her medically fit for the job she would be assigned to do.

“Her Iraqi agent; Alhaja Shakirat Yusuf whom she knows as only ‘Mama Uganda’ came to WB Warani Manpower to sign her in officially on the 25th January 2023 and was assigned to work for an Iraqi family of eight (six children and two parents) on 29th of January 2023. Her work hours span about twenty hours plus a day, with little or no resting time.

“According to Miss Odunayo, after one month of work, she requested her salary and her madam said that, because of the high commission in paying money into Nigeria accounts, she would be paid every two months and she agreed, but after four months, and she still was not paid. Her ordeal then began when she dared to request payment.

“Her phone was confiscated to prevent communication with members of her family. Each time she asked for her remuneration or spoke about it, she suffered a beating resulting in bleeding and bodily injuries. That, at one point, her madam bound her hands and feet and threw her into the dogs’ cage until 3 am before she was released to continue with her work.

“Because of her level of exploitation and trauma, I have directed the relevant department and operatives of the agency to commence immediate profiling, interview, and the comprehensive process of rehabilitation for her. This is to enable the agency to assess her medical status, the nature of assistance and skills needed, and to design a part of ensuring her reunion with her family.”

The DG assured that: “Also, NAPTIP shall also do the needful to ensure justice for her.

“I wish to use this opportunity to thank all our partners, the Federal Ministry of Foreign, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Embassies and Nigeria Mission abroad, other partnering Ministry, Department and Agencies (MDAs), Hope Haven Foundation, the Media and other stakeholders, for a successful collaboration and support which resulted in the eventual arrival of Miss Eniola Isaac.”

She however added that: “It is also important to advise our youths and parents to always be careful and think twice before jumping at any juicy offer of jobs abroad. Over the past few months, we have intercepted scores of youths, mostly girls, at various points of exit across Nigeria, and their destinations have been some of the volatile countries in the Middle East.

“Certainly, a dangerous journey of this nature could have been avoided with simple caution and a check from NAPTIP.”

In her testimony, Miss Eniola Isaac, said, “I thank God that I am alive. I will not wish that my enemy passes through what I experienced. I never thought I could survive the painful ordeal”, she recalled with a bitter countenance.

NAPTIP Commences Rehabilitation of Victims of Human Trafficking

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NSCDC Orders Mining Marshal to Withdraw Petition Against Police from Senate

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NSCDC Orders Mining Marshal to Withdraw Petition Against Police from Senate

By: Michael Mike

The leadership of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has expressed its displeasure at the petition allegedly filed by the Commander of the Mining Marshal, Attah Onoja before the senate committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions, over an alleged attack and shooting of its mining marshals by some Police officers including alleged obstruction of its efforts to prosecute illegal miners arrested in Nasarawa state.

A statement by the spokesman of NSCDC, Afolabi Babawale said the Commandant General (CG), Dr Ahmed Audi, has seen the action of the Commander of the Mining Marshal as outside his purview.

Babawale said the CG has reacted that by filing the petition without the authorisation of the management of the NSCDC, the Corps management therefore dissociates itself from the petition while the officer has been directed to immediately withdraw the said petition to allow for a smooth and amicable resolution of issues raised in the spirit of the robust interagency relationship between the Nigeria Police and the Corps as well as the harmonious working relationship between the IGP and the CG.

Babawale said the CG noted that the office of the IGP has been very supportive of the Corps’ operations by enjoining the Police to work closely with the Corps and other Services to enhance national security and the realisation of Mr Presidents RENEWED Hope Agenda

He disclosed that the management is already working out appropriate measures to take on the officer.

Babawale said the Commandant General has reiterated his determination to continue to effectively collaborate and synergize with the Nigeria Police in an avowed commitment to stamping out crime and criminality to make Nigeria safer and more secure.

He noted that the Corps helmsman has requested for a joint investigation with the police with a view to unravelling what actually transpired as we work towards finding a common ground

He appealed to the IGP for the embarrassment that the said petition may have caused.

The CG was quoted to have said: “I have spoken to the IGP on the matter and sincerely apologise for the embarrassment that the petition might have caused.

“I have also directed that the petition be withdrawn immediately with a view to resolving it administratively without any rancour.”

NSCDC Orders Mining Marshal to Withdraw Petition Against Police from Senate

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International

OP-ED: “A RESCUE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”

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OP-ED: “A RESCUE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”

By: Michael Mike

This month, leaders will gather in Sevilla, Spain, on a rescue mission: to help fix how the world invests in sustainable development.

The stakes could not be higher. A decade after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and many global commitments to finance them, two-thirds of the targets are lagging. And the world is falling short by over $4 trillion annually in the resources developing countries need to deliver on these promises by 2030.

Meanwhile, the global economy is slowing, trade tensions are rising, aid budgets are being slashed while military spending soars, and international cooperation is under unprecedented strain.

The global development crisis is not abstract. It is measured in families going to bed hungry, children going unvaccinated, girls being forced to drop out of school and entire communities deprived of basic services.

We must correct course. That begins at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla, where an ambitious, globally supported plan to invest in the Sustainable Development Goals must be adopted.

That plan should include three essential elements.

First, Sevilla must help accelerate the flow of resources to the countries who need it most. Fast.

Countries must be in the driver’s seat, mobilizing domestic resources by strengthening revenue collection and addressing tax evasion, money laundering and illicit financial flows through international cooperation. This would provide much-needed resources to prioritize spending on areas with the greatest impact such as education, healthcare, jobs, social protection, food security, and renewable energy.

At the same time, national development banks, regional and Multilateral Development Banks need to come together to finance major investments.

To support this, the lending capacity of these banks needs to triple so developing countries can better access capital on affordable terms with longer timelines.

This increased access should include re-channeling of unconditional reserve assets — or Special Drawing Rights — to developing countries, preferably through Multilateral Development Banks to multiply their impact.

Private investment is also essential. Resources can be unlocked by making it easier for private finance to support bankable development projects and by promoting solutions that mitigate currency risks and combine public and private finance more effectively.

Throughout, donors must keep their development promises.

Second, we must fix the global debt system. It is unfair and broken.

The current borrowing system is unsustainable, and developing countries have little confidence in it. It’s easy to see why. Debt service is a steamroller crushing development gains, to the tune of more than $1.4 trillion a year. Many governments are forced to spend more on debt payments than on essentials like health and education combined.

Sevilla must result in concrete steps to reduce borrowing costs, facilitate timely debt restructuring for countries burdened by unsustainable debt, and prevent debt crises from unfolding in the first place.

In advance of the conference, a number of countries put forward proposals to ease the debt burden on developing countries. This includes making it easier to pause debt service in times of emergency; establishing a single debt registry to strengthen transparency; and improving how the IMF, World Bank and credit-ratings agencies assess risks in developing countries.

Finally, Sevilla must raise the voice and influence of developing countries in the international financial system so it better serves their needs.

International financial institutions must reform their governance structures to enable greater voice and participation of developing countries in the management of the institutions they depend on.

The world also needs a fairer global tax system, one shaped by all governments — not just the wealthiest and most powerful.

The creation of a “borrowers club” for countries to coordinate their approaches and learn from one another is another promising step toward addressing power imbalances.

The meeting in Sevilla is not about charity. It’s about justice, and building a future in which countries can thrive, build, trade, and prosper together. In our increasingly interconnected world, a future of haves and have-nots is a recipe for even greater global insecurity that will keep weighing down progress for all.

With renewed global commitment and action, Sevilla can spark new momentum to restore a measure of faith in international cooperation and deliver on sustainable development for people and planet.

In Sevilla, leaders must act together to make this rescue mission a success.

OP-ED: “A RESCUE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”

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Crime

Illicit drug consignment packaged as green tea intercepted at Lagos airport

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Illicit drug consignment packaged as green tea intercepted at Lagos airport

By:Michael Mike

No fewer than 66 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, packaged as green tea have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.

According to the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the seizure made last Thursday was based on credible intelligence received ahead of the arrival of the consignment at the cargo wing of the airport on 11th May.

Babafemi, in the statement issued on Sunday, disclosed that the NDLEA had watch-listed the shipment, and sustained surveillance around it for over three weeks before inviting other stakeholders for a joint examination last Thursday.

He said the Loud consignment weighing 62.2 kilogrammes was concealed inside wraps of green tea that came from Thailand via UAE on an Emirate Airlines flight.

Babafemi said in another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Monday intercepted a consignment of 1,665 kilogrammes skunk, a strain of cannabis, along Lekki-Ajah expressway. Two suspects: Gidado Ayinde and Obanla Oluwafemi were promptly arrested in connection with the seizure.

In Kaduna, operatives of the state command of NDLEA on patrol along Abuja – Kaduna expressway last Tuesday arrested 29-year-old Goodluck Nnaemeka with 612 bottles of codeine-based syrup and 2,970 pills of flunitrazepam. In another operation same day, a 52-year-old wanted drug dealer Kabiru Musa (a.k.a KB) was arrested at Kurmin Mashi. A total of 25.7 kilogrammes skunk was earlier recovered from his base.
While a total of 9 kilogrammes Loud was recovered from the spare tyre compartment of an Audi station wagon car marked AAA 975 XU driven by Atari Israel, 45, along Auchi road, Edo state, two young women: Favour Joy and Joy Igwe were last Tuesday nabbed at Ikpoba hill area of Benin city. Recovered from them include: 106.57 kilogrammes skunk; 1 kilogramme Loud; 800 grammes Colorado and 302 grammes of methamphetamine.

Babafemi said the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the officers and men of MMIA, Lagos, Kaduna, and Edo commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

Illicit drug consignment packaged as green tea intercepted at Lagos airport

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