NCAA, NAPTIP partner to tackle human trafficking by air

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has partnered with the National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Person (NAPTIP), to collectively tackle the scourge of human trafficking via the airports.

The Director General (DG) of the NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman, expressed the body’s readiness to stop the nefarious activities, while receiving a NAPTIP delegation, led by its DG, Julie Okah-Donli, in Lagos.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), lately disclosed that 24.9 million people are illegally trafficked yearly and live in conditions of modern slavery.

The association had urged the aviation community to renew commitment to raising awareness and train staff to recognise the signs of trafficking, and putting in place, reporting protocols to alert the concerned authorities.

Usman promised that other aviation agencies will also partner with NAPTIP in achieving its mandate of stopping the menace of human trafficking from Nigeria.

He assured that the NCAA, while discharging its regulatory functions, will ensure all airline operators adhere to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) at all times. He pledged to review and validate the documents he received from the body.

Okah-Donli said it was imperative to embark on the visit to the NCAA as the regulator of the aviation industry in Nigeria, “since young Nigerians are lured out of the country through the airports”.

The visit, she said, would enable the two government agencies to chart a course to successfully stamp out human trafficking from Nigeria.

She implored NCAA, during its oversight responsibilities over all aviation agencies, to ensure that airlines are mandated to fulfill part of their obligations under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.

The DG of NAPTIP presented some of the sensitisation materials developed for the aviation industry for review and validation by the NCAA before its implementation. She added that a workshop to engage relevant operators in the industry was forthcoming.

Director General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IATA, Alexandre de Juniac, had said human trafficking creates misery for millions, and helps fund criminal gangs and terrorism.

“However, aviation is the business of freedom. And we are taking action to help authorities ensure that our global network is not exploited for evil ends. As an industry, we have our eyes open, and are working with governments and law enforcement to stop trafficking. Through a joint campaign with our airport colleagues, we hope to further mobilise the aviation industry in the fight against this abhorrent trade in people’s lives,” de Juniac said.