NAHCON to partner NAPTIP to curtail human trafficking

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says it will partner with the National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP) to curtail the menace of human trafficking.

The Head of Media Unit of NAHCON, Mrs Fatima Mustapha, made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

She said the management of NAHCON, led by its Executive Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad, made the pledge during a courtesy call on the leadership of NAPTIP in Abuja.

Mustapha quoted Muhammad as stressing the need for synergy by all relevant organisations to tackle the menace of human trafficking.

Muhammad expressed concern that human trafficking had dented the image of the country in recent.

The NAHCON boss called on the National Security Adviser to coordinate the agencies involved in anti-human trafficking to find lasting solutions to the menace, especially the route to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The executive chairman said that the introduction of e-passport by the Nigeria Immigration Service had reduced human trafficking drastically, unlike in the past.

According to him, there is need for all relevant government agencies to evolve new strategy to deal with the menace.

Muhammad also said the introduction of bio-metric data capturing by the Saudi authority for Hajj and Umrah was to checkmate the activities of those over stayed their period and absconders.

Responding, the Director-General of NAPTIP, Mrs Julie Okali-Donli, commended the leadership of NAHCON for identifying with the good work of the organisation.

Okali-Donli assured of the readiness of NAPTIP to work with the commission to curb human trafficking.

She, however, said this would be done in line with the provision of the law establishing the agency; to prosecute any person or organisation involved in human trafficking.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than five pilgrims from Gombe, Zamfara, Plateau and Jigawa absconded during the 2017 Hajj.

The five pilgrims include one from Gombe, one from Zamfara, two from Plateau and one from Jigawa.