US embassy cable - 05LAGOS419

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000419 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR G, INL/CTR, DRL, PRM, IWI, AF/RSA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, KCRM, KWMN, NI 
SUBJECT: RECENT TIP CASES SHOW NIGERIA'S PROGRESS AND 
REMAINING HURDLES 
 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  In late February, state government 
officials in Lagos closed an "orphanage" run by a 
supposed church minister that was fronting for child 
trafficking and other illicit practices. On March 5, 
police in Lagos intercepted a truck carrying more than 
60 children from Niger State.  The Ambassador issued a 
press statement (text below) on March 7 congratulating 
the GON for the arrests.  On March 4, immigration 
officials at the Benin border with Lagos State stopped 
a truck trafficking 52 Togolese children.  Government 
action on these cases and the extensive media coverage 
received are signs of Nigerian commitment to and 
progress in combating trafficking. END SUMMARY. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
OFFICIALS UNCOVER A SUSPICIOUS ORPHANAGE 
AND 2 ALLEGED TIP CASES 
---------------------------------------- 
 
2. (U) In late February, Lagos State government 
officials closed an "orphanage" run by a supposed 
church minister but suspected of being a front for 
child trafficking.  The investigation of the 
"orphanage" continues.  The "minister" was arrested for 
recruiting pregnant teenagers and selling their babies. 
An official from the Nigeria Agency for the Prevention 
of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said NAPTIP will 
assume the case if they can confirm the teenagers were 
brought to the orphanage through deception or for 
exploitive purposes, both of which constitute 
trafficking under Nigerian law. 
 
3. (SBU) On March 5 at one of the highway checkpoints 
across Nigeria, police in Lagos intercepted a truck 
from Niger State carrying a container marked "frozen 
fish."  In reality, more than 60 children were inside 
the dark, unventilated carriage.  Many were suffering 
from dehydration and exhaustion.  The police arrested 
the driver and his accomplices.  Media reports said the 
driver went through several such police checkpoints 
from Niger State to Lagos, paying the small N20 (17 
cents) bribe commonly charged to all but diplomats and 
VIPs passing through.  When the more suspicious police 
at the Lagos checkpoint questioned the cargo, the 
driver offered a N5,000 ($37) bribe. 
 
4.  (SBU) According to a deputy police commissioner in 
Lagos, the investigation is ongoing and will be 
transferred from the Lagos Command to the Federal 
Criminal Investigation Bureau.  The head of the NAPTIP 
investigation department, however, said his agency is 
taking over the investigation and sent an officer to 
Lagos last week to begin.  The children were in police 
custody before being transferred to the Lagos NAPTIP 
shelter the evening of March 8, according to the 
shelter director.  Shelter staff plan to reintegrate 
the children back into their home communities, but they 
realize it will involve working first with the parents, 
many of whom see no problem with sending their child 
away for domestic or agricultural work. 
 
------------------------------------ 
AMBASSADOR'S MARCH 7 PRESS STATEMENT 
------------------------------------ 
 
5. (U) Begin text: 
 
Ambassador Congratulates the Nigerian Government on 
Breaking Up Human Trafficking Network and Rescuing 
Children 
 
We congratulate the Government of Nigeria on its 
success this weekend in breaking up a major network of 
criminals engaged in human trafficking, and rescuing 62 
children from bondage and grave physical danger in 
Lagos.  The young children had been transported from 
northern Nigeria in a metal container for more than 24 
hours.  The smugglers claimed the container was filled 
with "frozen fish."  In reality the children inside 
were suffering from dehydration and exhaustion, but now 
they have been rescued. 
 
This achievement follows on the Nigerian Government's 
operation in February that closed down an illicit 
"orphanage" in the Okota suburb of Lagos, another blow 
against human traffickers.  A Nigerian Government team 
led by Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele rescued 11 children there. 
 
The successful operations demonstrate the Nigerian 
Government's continuing commitment to combating this 
scourge.  We welcome and strongly support these 
efforts.  As the Embassy pointed out last week in 
presenting the State Department's 2004 Human Rights 
Report on Nigeria, the Nigerian Government's 
institutions and programs on human trafficking are 
moving into high gear.  We urge all Nigerians to work 
with their Government, directly and through the many 
concerned NGOs, to fight human trafficking and to take 
pride in Nigeria's successes. 
 
End Text 
 
6. (U) According to NAPTIP, on March 4, immigration 
officials also stopped a truck at the Benin border with 
Lagos State trafficking 52 children from Togo.   The 
children were entrusted to Togolese authorities in 
Nigeria. 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
6. (U) The arrests and investigations show increased 
awareness among police and officials and a commitment 
to pursuing traffickers.  The extensive media coverage 
also increased public awareness.  In several media 
reports, officials have taken the opportunity to call 
for vigilance among communities in reporting possible 
trafficking cases. 
 
7. (SBU) These cases also expose many of the challenges 
Nigeria must still overcome.  Coordination and 
information sharing within the police force and between 
the police and NAPTIP remain significant problems. 
Different answers from the police and NAPTIP as to who 
will carry out the investigation in the Niger State 
truck case showed a lack of coordination and some 
tension in the relationship between the two entities. 
 
BROWNE