Hard time awaits human traffickers and other organized criminal gangs operating
with the aid of cyber-technology as the National Agency for the Prohibition of
Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has concluded collaboration with the National
Centre for Missing and Exploited Children to enhance tracing and diligent
investigation of all cases relating of child abuse and human trafficking
With this development, the Agency shall have unrestricted access to millions of
information around the world that would help tackle online recruitment,
trafficking and exploitation of victims.
Director General of NAPTIP, Dr Fatima Waziri–Azi, disclosed this in Abuja while
speaking on the 2022 counter trafficking strategic approach of the Agency aimed
at ensuring protection of Nigerians from human trafficking and other forms of
exploitation, online and offline.
It would be recalled that Dr Fatima Waziri–Azi, has consistently maintained that
the arrest and prosecution of high profile human traffickers operating both within
and outside Nigeria remain one of her strategic priority as this will serve as
deterrent to others as well as reduce the level of impunity and ensure satisfactory
justice delivery to victims of human trafficking.
Investigation revealed that apart from millions of vulnerable and unaccompanied
children that are being trafficked across the West Africa corridors and migration
routes, many victims are held and blackmailed by traffickers in various
destinations with the use of technology to shield their identities and also ensure
firm and effective control measure on their victims.
The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children is the custodian of the
Cybertipline, which is a centralized reporting mechanism for crimes related to the
sexual exploitation of children. The Cybertipline provides an online mechanism for
members of the public and electronic service providers to report incidents of
suspected child sexual exploitation.
Based in the United States of America, Cybertipline serves as the National
Resource Centre and clearing house on missing and sexually exploited Children. It
works closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security
Investigations, the US Secret Service, the Military Criminal Investigative
Organizations, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task forces, the US
Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity and other state and local
Law Enforcement Agencies across the World.
Under this new partnership, NAPTIP shall have access to real time information on
child sex trafficking, sex tourism involving children, child sexual molestation by
non-family members and online enticement of children for sexual acts, among
others.
Speaking on the benefits of the new operational partnership, the Director General
of NAPTIP, Dr Fatima Waziri–Azi, said the latest development is a product of the
renewed determination by the Agency to investigate and prosecute those
operating remotely with the aid of technology.
“It is a known fact that human trafficking has continued to evolve in line with
globalization, especially with technology, traffickers have kept pace with
technology by using the World Wide Web for their operations.”
“This modus of operandi is prominent with the advent of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
There is a shift from physical recruitment to virtual recruitment through virtual
assessment of victim and proxy negotiation”
“This database shall enable NAPTIP to have access to vital information of
perpetrators who use social media platforms to electronically distributing
pornographic materials to either blackmail or exploit children. The system will
also help trace missing children, rescue child victims and rescue children from
abusive situation”, Dr Fatima Waziri–Azi stated.
The NAPTIP Director-General called on all stakeholders to cooperate with the
Agency though the sharing of information on missing children and other
suspected activities of traffickers within their environment and be assured that
such information shall be treated with strict confidentiality and prompt attention.
Stella Nezan
Head Press and Public Relations Unit
NAPTIP Headquaters
Abuja.
