The European Union (EU) has donated a modern digital interview facility and operational equipment to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to strengthen investigations, evidence gathering and prosecution of human trafficking and migrant smuggling cases in Nigeria.
The intervention, delivered under the Common Operational Partnership France–Italy–Nigeria (COP Nigeria) project, is aimed at improving evidence collection, protecting survivors and enhancing Nigeria’s capacity to dismantle transnational criminal networks.
The new facility comprises three specialised rooms, including a central observation room and two interview rooms fitted with one-way mirrors. It is also equipped with audio-visual recording and documentation technology to ensure that interviews are properly preserved for possible use as evidence in court.
Speaking at the handover ceremony at NAPTIP headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, the agency’s Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, described the intervention as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
Bello said the facility would provide a secure, dignified and supportive environment for interviewing victims, ensuring that their statements were obtained without exposing them to further trauma while preserving the integrity of their testimonies.
She explained that the recording and documentation technology would also ensure that suspect interrogations and victim statements complied with international forensic and legal standards, thereby strengthening the agency’s prosecution efforts.
The Director-General disclosed that NAPTIP had secured 78 convictions since January, expressing optimism that the new facility and operational equipment would further improve its record in prosecuting human trafficking offenders.
She said the accompanying operational assets would enhance the readiness of field officers, particularly in mobility, communication and intelligence gathering during complex anti-trafficking operations.
Bello described human trafficking and migrant smuggling as transnational organised crimes that exploit human vulnerability, undermine national security and violate fundamental human rights. She stressed that addressing the menace required shared responsibility, intelligence exchange and coordinated international action.
According to her, the COP Nigeria initiative aligns with NAPTIP’s mandate to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to detect, investigate and prosecute offenders, as well as disrupt criminal syndicates operating within and beyond the country’s borders.
She commended the governments of France and Italy, the European Union and other international partners for their continued investment in strengthening NAPTIP’s technical, infrastructural and operational capabilities.
The NAPTIP chief also assured the partners that the agency would ensure the effective deployment and maintenance of the facilities and equipment across its investigative and victim protection units.
She pledged that NAPTIP would sustain intelligence-led operations, deepen joint operational exercises with international partners and ensure that perpetrators of human trafficking had no safe haven within or outside Nigeria.
The COP Nigeria project is funded by the European Union and implemented by CIVIPOL, with France and Italy partnering Nigeria to strengthen cross-border responses to human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
The handover also included operational equipment for NAPTIP headquarters and three regional commands to improve officers’ mobility, communication and intelligence-gathering capabilities.
The EU and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Nigeria through international cooperation, intelligence sharing and institutional capacity development, emphasising the need for sustained collaboration among government agencies, international organisations and other stakeholders to combat the crimes.
