A European Union representative overseeing the Action against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Nigeria, Eleni Zerzelidou, has said the union spent over €10m supporting Nigeria in the fight against trafficking.

Zerzelidou said this in Abuja on Friday at the progress briefing for the soon-to-be-launched regional alliance, the West African Coalition against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants.

She said, “The EU has spent over €10m supporting the Government of Nigeria in the fight against the trafficking of human beings and smuggling of migrants in terms of policy, prevention, protection, partnership and prosecution.

“The launch of WACTIPSOM is going to support the coordination between NGOs in the ECOWAS region who are in this fight against trafficking and smuggling of human beings.”

In a separate interview with Saturday PUNCH, President of the Network of Civil Society Organisation against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour, Mr Abdulganiyu Abubakar, said 15 Nigerian girls trafficked to Mali are set to be repatriated to Nigeria.

Abubakar said this in Abuja on Friday at the progress briefing for the soon-to-be-launched regional alliance, the West African Coalition Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants.

In his opening address at the progress briefing for WACTIPSOM, Abubakar said, “Part of what we want to achieve with this initiative is to encourage other West African countries to have a cross-border platform of organisations working to address trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants so that we can collaborate and provide protection to our young men, women and children who are being trafficked across the region.

“We have recorded some results in the last six months; We’ve been engaging with these 15 (West African) countries.

“For instance, one of our sister organisation in Mali, War Against Human Trafficking reached out to NACTAL in November 2020 to report 15 Nigerian girl who were being trafficked in Mali and were stranded.

He added that his organisation had received lists of Nigerian girls trafficked in other African countries including Ghana, Sierra Leone and Niger.

On the specific date of their return, Abubakar said, “So far, I have no date. As a CSO, we have done our part. It is now left for the Nigerian government to do its part through NAPTIP. For us, we are ready. Our social workers and partners in Mali are ready.”

He revealed that the girls were in a shelter in Mali and the Nigerian Embassy had been notified.

In his remarks, the representative of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Ahmed Wali, said through FIIAPP, the collaboration among the NIS, NACTAL, NAPTIP and the Nigeria Police had been strengthened.

As regards the 15 girls awaiting repatriation in Mali, Wali said, “Yes, they have been there for the past seven months since we received the first tip-off in November last year, but the good news is, with the launch of WACTIPSOM, these girls will return soon and subsequent cases won’t take this long before being addressed.”