By Henry Uche
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has expressed sadness over the incessant mishap involving hundreds of irregular migrants on the Mediterranean Sea enroute Europe describing it as huge loss that could be avoided.
A statement delivered by the NAPTIP’s Head of Press & Public Relations, Stella Nezan confirmed that the Director General, Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, who made the call in Abuja while reacting to the recent human casualties recorded as a ship carrying hundreds of migrants capsized off the Libyan coast, beckoned on stakeholders across the World and specifically in African to join hands with the Agency in its renewed efforts to scale up sensitization and awareness campaign as a way of remedying the situation.
It would be recorded that huge causalities are being recorded yearly on the Mediterranean Sea as thousands of irregular migrants continue to cross the Sea in a bid to migrate to Europe. The latest of such was the incident recorded few days ago in which no fewer than 100 migrants feared dead as boat were carrying some 130 migrants capsized off the Coast.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) no fewer than 350 migrants have died while crossing the Mediterranean migrating route since the beginning of the year thereby raising serious concern on the safety of the migrants.
Reacting to the sad incident, NAPTIP’s DG said effort must be made urgently to arrest the situation and halt the constant carnage on this East African migrating route in order to save lives.
Sulaiman Ibrahim said, “I am deeply sad by this avoidable situation that has continued to bring about huge loss of lives and involving a target population of the African continent. While our heart goes for the families of affected migrants, I wish to call for a regional effort to halt this incessant casualty.
“While migration remains the right of every persons, caution must be taken to avoid a loss of lives as we have continued to witness on this aforementioned route. Our concern is borne out of the fact that this unhealthy situation could be avoided or best still minimized to the barest minimum if those affected make the choice of traveling right.
“In as much we are mot justifying the occasional loss of lives on this troubled migrating route, it is our belief that this development could be discouraged. As such, in our renewed efforts to and vision aimed at ensuring adequate protection of Nigerian from trafficking, we have improved relationship and synergy with partners and cross section of the society.
The statement added, “As a foremost counter trafficking Agency established by the Federal Government of Nigeria, in addition to our various sustained strategic awareness raising campaigns that are ongoing across the Country, we have recently launched the “Blue Bus” campaign movement scaling up the enlightenment and advocacy to discouraged human trafficking and irregular migration. This project is supported by the Swiss Government and implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
“The one -stop branding awareness programme involved huge number of stakeholders, development partners, sister Law Enforcement Agencies and an array of Civil Society actors taking the potent message of anti – human trafficking and irregular migration to the unreached areas and regions of Nigeria.
“Reports on suspected incidents of human trafficking, child abuse and other related crimes are been made aboard the mobile campaign platforms of the Blue Bus as well as counselling of victims and vulnerable people.
“I wish to call on stakeholders across Africa to join NAPTIP in its renewed sensitization campaign drive to bring the painful situation to an end. We must not allow this constant loss of human lives to continue. Let us rise up and re-appraise our regional collaboration with a view to smoothen the rough edges and evolve new strategy if the need arises.
It added that the victims were mainly a targeted economically viable class of the population and children who must be protected, stressing that “Enough is enough of this carnage on the Mediterranean migrating route and we all must rise up and stop it now.”