PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

U.S. Ambassador at Large for Trafficking in Persons Visit Nigeria

Date: January 22, 2008
Venue: Abuja and Lagos

Ambassador Lagon and NAPTIP Executive Sec Carol Ndaguba. | Full size

U.S. Ambassador at Large for Trafficking in Persons Mark P. Lagon visited Nigeria for two days to hold consultations with Nigerian officials on human trafficking issues in Abuja and Lagos.

While in Nigeria Ambassador Lagon participated in a round-table discussion in Abuja with the Executive Secretary of the National Agency for Prohibition of Human Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mrs. Carol Ndaguba.  Following the round table Ambassador Lagon told journalists that the United States continues to support Nigeria’s efforts to combat trafficking in persons. 

Ambassador Lagon serves as Ambassador-at-Large and Director of the U.S. State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State. The TIP Office coordinates U.S. Government activities in the global fight against modern-day slavery, including forced labor and sexual exploitation.

In her welcome remarks, Mrs. Ndaguba said Ambassador Lagon’s visit to NAPTIP is significant as it marks the second of two high ranking US officials visiting the agency within one year.  US Congressman Chris Smith visited and held consultations with officials of NAPTIP early last year. 

Mrs. Ndaguba said her agency is currently collaborating with eight European countries and  the United States in the fight against human trafficking.  According to U.S. Government-sponsored research completed in 2006, approximately 800,000 men, women, and children are trafficked across national borders, which does not include millions more trafficked within their own countries.

Two U.S. organizations – the American Bar Association and the Department of State’s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs have in the past provided assistance to NAPTIP to train Nigeria Judges on human trafficking and also collaborated with the agency to conduct research in eleven endemic Southern States of Nigeria.

In a PowerPoint presentation, Muhammad Babandede, NAPTIP Director for Investigation and Monitoring, told the journalists that since inception the agency has secured 13 convictions while 53 cases are currently pending.  Mr. Babandede also added that NAPTIP is currently handling a celebrated case of a woman human trafficker who published her own obituary to escape NAPTIP’s arrest and prosecution. 

 

For more information on human trafficking see:

http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2007/
http://www.america.gov/st/hr-english/2008/January/20080117162306ajesroM0.7160913.html