Edo state, (Nigeria), 05 July 2022
Last week, STARSOM’s anti-migrant smuggling advisor in West Africa, held the second round of mentoring sessions for selected investigators and prosecutors of the Nigeria Immigration (NIS) and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), dealing with migrant smuggling cases.
Over the course of 4 days, the participants shared experiences on investigation techniques, current gaps, and good practices in the criminal justice response to migrant smuggling.
“STARSOM is helping build the skills and capacity of law enforcement officers to identify migrant smuggling and to investigate and prosecute the offenders and protect the migrants”, says Aondoaver Kuttuh, UNODC anti-migrant smuggling advisor.
The participants also analyzed real cases and discussed about all the risks faced by migrants along their journey.
“Edo state is in the mid-western region of Nigeria. It is the origin for thousands of young people who begin their journey to Europe and other parts of the world, in search for a better life. Many of them believe it is cheap and safe to use the services of a migrant smuggler. In many cases, this is not true as migrants face unforeseen risks and dangers during the journey”, adds Kuttuh.
STARSOM is funded by the Government of Canada through its Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program (ACCBP).
