The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has pledged stronger collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to curb human trafficking, particularly the growing trend of stowaways and the illegal movement of victims and unaccompanied minors across Nigeria’s borders.
Adeniyi made the commitment when he received the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, OON, and a board member of the MMS WoFHoF Initiative, Hajia Lami Tumaka, during a courtesy visit to the Customs Headquarters in Abuja.
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The meeting formed part of a tripartite engagement stemming from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NAPTIP and MMS WoFHoF, aimed at enhancing inter-agency synergy in tackling human trafficking and related transnational crimes.
Speaking during the visit, Bello described human trafficking as an organized transnational crime that thrives on weak coordination among agencies. She emphasized that the Nigeria Customs Service, with its statutory mandate on border management and trade facilitation, remains a key partner in curbing cross-border trafficking and migrant smuggling.
She called for closer collaboration in intelligence sharing, joint capacity-building programs, sensitization for officers, coordinated operations, and community engagement in border areas.
Also speaking, Hajia Lami Tumaka disclosed plans for a joint national conference and dialogue on stowaways and human trafficking, aimed at strengthening stakeholders’ understanding and preventive measures.
In his response, Adeniyi reaffirmed that partnership remains vital in tackling societal challenges, assuring NAPTIP and MMS WoFHoF of Customs’ full support for all interventions geared towards reducing human trafficking across the country.
