Posted by Onyedi Ojiabor, Abuja on
The United States Government on Monday commended the Federal Government for its anti-human trafficking efforts, particularly in regard to law enforcement.
The United States Government on Monday commended the Federal Government for its anti-human trafficking efforts, particularly in regard to law enforcement.
The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. John Campbell, at a news conference in Abuja, also restated that the controversial National Intelligence Council report, which predicted a possible break up of Nigeria in 15 years, did not represent the view of Washington.
According to Campbell, the news conference was informed by the release of the "2005 Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report" by the U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice.
He said that because of the progress made by Nigeria in its anti-trafficking efforts, the country had been upgraded from the Tier 2 Watch List, to Tier 2 List.
The Ambassador lauded the federal and state governments, organisations and individuals that worked to fight the scourge.
He noted that continued improvement in all three areas of protection, prosecution and prevention would be important in the coming year to move forward on combating trafficking and to help the country improve its ranking.
He said the US observed that the Nigerian Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons investigated more than 40 cases of suspected trafficking, leading to eight new prosecutions.
'In November, the High Court in Benin City handed down the first conviction under the 2003 anti-trafficking law. NAPTP also began investigating a number of law enforcement officials suspected of trafficking complicity. The police anti-trafficking unit rescued 35 victims of trafficking, opened 27 investigations and arrested 40 suspected traffickers," he said.
The Punch, Tuesday June 7, 2005