National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has called on all airlines operating in Nigeria to emulate AirPeace in its efforts to stem the tide of human trafficking in Nigeria.
Speaking on Thursday during an award presentation ceremony to AirPeace in Lagos, Julie Okah-Donli, director-general of NAPTIP, said the event was to honour the patriotic and humane action of men and women that operated on AirPeace Lagos-Banjul flight P47560 on June 4, 2018, and three other flight incidents where human trafficking was aborted.
Okah-Donli recalled that on the fateful day, the vigilant crew of Air Peace flight foiled an attempt by two Nigerian women to traffic a three-month old baby boy from Nigeria to Banjul, Gambia.
“The suppose mother could not breastfeed the baby who was crying persistently but rather asked the crew for water to feed the baby. This aroused the suspicion of the crew members who tipped off the airport security in arrival in Banjul,” she said.
Also in January 2019, AirPeace uncovered and foiled an attempt to traffic a three-day-old baby boy from Port Harcourt to Lagos.
The newborn was on the verge of being flown by a middle-aged woman when the crew intervened and drew the attention of the police.
“If all airlines and transport companies were as vigilant as Air Peace, the stories of those Nigerians who are currently trapped in sexual and labour slavery along West African Coast, in the hot deserts of North Africa and the by-ways of Europe would be very different.
“I seize this occasion to draw the attention of airlines and tour operators, transporters and travel agents to the extant provision of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, which mandates them to take specific steps to ensure their vessels or vehicles are not used for the purpose of trafficking in persons,” the DG said.
She assured that the ceremony represented NAPTIP’s determination to recognise and encourage such feats, which contribute to the stemming of the tide of human trafficking in Nigeria, adding that the agency was proud to present an award to Air Peace and decorate the chairman of the airline and the crewmembers with ambassadorial medals.
Also speaking at the occasion, Allen Onyema, chairman, Air Peace Airline, commended the agency for the recognition and award and its efforts to address the issue of human trafficking.
Onyema said the management of the airline had consistently imbued in its staff the required professional trainings, values and cultures to fight human trafficking.
He promised to partner NAPTIP to employ persons that were victims of human trafficking, to become staff of Air Peace Airlines.
“Give us a list of the victims, we will interview them and give them employment. It is not enough stopping them from being trafficked. If we don’t have plans to engage them, it becomes a problem. This is about mankind and humanity and we must all be involved,” the chairman told the agency.
