Germany trains NAPTIP, EFCC officers on crime fighting
Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
The German Police have concluded the training of the officers of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on various strategies in the fight against human trafficking.
The training, tagged “Trafficking in Human Beings for Sexual Exploitation” and which ended in Abuja at the weekend was sponsored by the German government in furtherance of the partnership between NAPTIP and the German Police (BKA).
The German Embassy in Nigeria also donated equipment worth several millions of naira for the NAPTIP Training Resource Center (TRC).
In her address, the Director General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli, reiterated the readiness of the Agency to take the fight against human trafficking to greater heights.
Dame Okah-Ndoli commended the government of Germany for the kind gesture extended to NAPTIP by donating equipment for the Agency’s Resource Centre as well as for sending in experts from Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt to train the officers, exchange ideas and experiences as regards the fight against trafficking in persons.
According to the NAPTIP boss, the German government has indeed, “shown that when partnerships are harnessed and consummated appropriately, the opportunities are quite limitless”. She further stated that “the Agency is appreciative of the support enjoyed and is further committed to working even closely with you to mitigate the crime of Trafficking in Persons and related matters.
“Combating Human Trafficking is an issue of common interest to all of us; let us put all our hands on deck and brainstorm to end this modern day slavery.”
She stressed the need for such collaborations between NAPTIP and other European Governments, as European countries are at the top on the list of destination countries for the external trafficking of Nigerian youths.
Earlier in his remarks, the Ambassador of Germany to Nigeria, Ambassador Bernhard Shlagheck stated that the fight against human trafficking is a difficult one, and expressed his government’s delight to associate with NAPTIP in its efforts to combat trafficking in persons in Nigeria. He opined that it is important to improve synergy between governments and organisations in the fight against human trafficking, and observed that NAPTIP, as the apex organisation in the fight against human trafficking in Nigeria, has indeed done remarkably well and it was therefore a pleasure to partner with the Agency.
The Police Liaison Officer from the BKA, Dominic Muller, praised the Participants, whom he described as ‘ready for combat’, and indicated that such a course will be held for more Officers in 2018.
