US embassy cable - 04LAGOS2454

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 002454 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO INL/CTR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2009 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, KCRM, KWMN, NI 
SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS ON TIP INTERIM 
ASSESSMENT 
 
REF: LAGOS 2301 
 
Classified By: Consul General Brian Browne for reason 1.5(b). 
 
1. (U) The information below responds to interim assessment 
follow-up questions from the November 19, 2004, email from 
Rachel Yousey. 
 
2. (U) Has NAPTIP investigated any of the informant reports 
of corruption among law enforcement, immigration, and airport 
officials? 
 
Answer: NAPTIP has begun to pursue some allegedly corrupt 
officials working at the airports (see paragraph 3).  NAPTIP 
officials said they are taking a cautious approach because of 
the sensitivity of the issue of corruption.  They need to be 
careful not to engender animosity within the police force and 
Immigration Service.  For their credibility and because of 
the inertia that sometimes affects the legal system, they 
know the first cases they pursue must be built on very solid 
information.  They considered their visits to various 
agencies to warn officials about the new law an important 
step in laying a foundation for pursuing cases effectively. 
 
3. (C) What is NAPTIP doing to address corruption among 
officials at the airports? 
 
Answer: NAPTIP has requested undercover access to airports 
from the minister of aviation. The agency has information on 
TIP syndicates that operate in the airports. Agency officials 
believe, however, that undercover access is necessary to 
finish building their cases and to arrest those officials 
involved in the alleged syndicates. The minister of aviation 
currently is considering NAPTIP's request. 
 
4. (U) Have Immigration Service anti-trafficking units done 
anything concrete? Are they actually engaged in combating 
trafficking? 
 
Answer: The units are engaged in combating trafficking.  The 
head of the unit in Edo State reported that they have 
presented public seminars in all local government areas. 
They support NAPTIP in surveillance, arrests, and 
prosecutions.  They receive deported victims and provide them 
a non-accusatory rehabilitative environment.  They interview 
the victims and help them find their relatives or connect 
them with a shelter. 
 
5. (U) What has the Ministry of Labour and Productivity's 
repatriation program accomplished? How many victims have been 
provided this food, transportation, and reunification 
assistance? Does the assistance overlap with that provided by 
NAPTIP and other programs? 
 
Answer: According to ILO, which funds the Ministry of Labour 
program, no children have been repatriated through the 
program yet.  With the first round of funding, the Ministry 
has conducted preparation activities, including training 
staff in several states and distributing information about 
the program to Nigerian embassies in other West African 
countries.  ILO expects to release the second funding tranche 
soon, with a goal of repatriating 100 externally trafficked 
children and 200 internally trafficked children.  It is 
expected NAPTIP and other agencies will rely on this program 
for repatriation assistance when victims are identified. 
BROWNE