The United States has funded a program for Nigerian judicial officers, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials to step up efforts to tackle human trafficking.
According to a statement issued Wednesday by US Consulate spokesman Temitayo Famutimi, the Lagos retreat focused on improving the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases.
It is sponsored by the US Department of State’s Office on International Drugs and Law Enforcement and is run by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
“The resignation provided an opportunity for members of the judiciary and prosecutors at the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Human Beings to discuss the admissibility of electronic evidence in human trafficking cases under Nigerian law,” the partial statement said.
The participants engaged in a stable dialogue on witness management and protection and shared best practices and insights in broad areas of prosecution and handling of human trafficking cases in the country’s judiciary.
Speaking at the event, the Consul General of the United States, Claire Pirangelo, said the retreat was a key component of a US-funded rule of law bill presented in 2018 entitled “Strengthening the Capacity of Governmental and Non-State Support Institutions , Support and protect victims of trafficking (GT) in Nigeria. “
“We are proud of our ongoing partnership with the Government of Nigeria with its continued efforts to build on its success in securing human trafficking and smuggling of migrant cases, which are prosecuted effectively and fairly and convicts receive appropriate punishment,” Pirangelo was quoted as saying.
The Consul General explained that under the project, the US government in partnership with UNODC Nigeria provides support to the Nigerian government through the Federal Ministry of Justice, NAPTIP and the Nigerian Immigration Service, as well as civil society groups in various thematic areas. areas of human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
According to her, the initiative has recorded some remarkable achievements, such as the establishment of a judicial resource center at the NAVET headquarters in Abuja, which provides employees with access to relevant tools and resources in the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases.
Other key achievements include support for the establishment of national anti-trafficking task forces across the country and the development of a series of trafficking awareness materials designed for travel agents, airport staff, flight crews and passengers.