The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have decided to work together in the nation’s ongoing fight against human trafficking.
Brigadier Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd.), the chairman and chief executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), pledged strong collaboration and coordination with his NAPTIP counterpart to support the ongoing crackdown on traffickers throughout the nation.
The NDLEA chief made the pledge during a courtesy call with Binta Adamu Bello, the Director General of NAPTIP, at the organization’s Abuja headquarters.
Marwa praised the NAPTIP Director General for taking the initiative to combat human trafficking in Nigeria and for her proactive operations and interventions that have led to the arrest of multiple traffickers and the rescue of numerous victims. She called the appointment of the Director General a strategic step in the fight against human trafficking in Nigeria.
While bemoaning the suffering of human trafficking victims in the nation, the anti-narcotics czar characterized NAPTIP as “a very important and critical agency in the fight against human trafficking in Nigeria” that merits everyone’s support.
For the purpose of improving smooth joint operation, intelligence sharing, and cooperation, he proposed a legally agreed-upon framework that will specify the working relationship between the two agencies.
As stated earlier in her speech, the visit “was part of the NAPTIP’s ongoing strategic engagement with key sister agencies to strengthen institutional collaboration, share knowledge, and harmonize our operations where our mandates intersect,” according to the director general.
“This visit also, more importantly. It represents our desire to deepen the longstanding relationship between our two agencies. In today’s security landscape, the complexities of crime, particularly organized transnational crime, require that we work in closer synergy.
“Drug trafficking and Human Trafficking are increasingly interconnected both globally and locally. In many instances, victims of human trafficking, especially women and children, are used as drug couriers. Victims are also drugged or subjected to substance abuse as a method of control, coercion, or subjugation by traffickers. Furthermore, both crimes thrive on similar enablers.
“Intelligence reports have shown overlaps in networks operating in both spheres, hence the urgent need for a coordinated response”, the Director General of NAPTIP stated.
One of the visit is highlights was the formation of a joint operational team that will improve cooperation between the two agencies. Directors from both agencies attended the meeting.
