NASS Amends Human Trafficking Law

Daily Independence Online

July 3rd, 2006—The 2003 law on human trafficking has been amended by the National Assembly to allow for the prohibition of domestic labour in the country.

This was announced at the weekend in Abuja by the Head of Investigations and Monitoring, National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP), Mohammed Babadede.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), that violation of the prohibition act attracted a penalty of five years imprisonment.

He said the law permits the setting up of a victim trust fund and seizure of assets of traffickers.

He noted that the agency received about 93 complaints this year, interrogated 30 suspects and convicted two traffickers.

He said the agency also embarked on a training programme for security agents at the Seme border under an agreement with Benin Republic to curb crimes at the border.

Babadede said NAPTIP signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with some receiver countries were Nigerians were mostly trafficked.