By Gift Olivia Samuel, The Sight News
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has dismissed five of its personnel, including a Deputy Director, for various offenses.
The offenses range from corruption; demanding and receiving bribes from suspects and relatives; leaking confidential information to suspects that endangered the lives of colleagues; violation of oath of secrecy; stealing and alteration of official records and Absent Without Official Leave.
These offenses are all contrary to provisions of the Public Service Rules and other extant laws and regulations.
Making this known in a statement Wednesday, NAPTIP’s Press Officer, Adekoye Vincent, said two other officers were demoted by two ranks for soliciting for bribes from a suspect of human trafficking, while one officer was demoted by one rank for negligence of duty.
The disciplinary actions followed the approval of the Governing Board of the Agency at its meeting of May 25, 2023. At that meeting, the Board considered and ratified the decision of the Agency’s Senior Staff Committee (SSC) which earlier sat on the disciplinary matters in accordance with the Public Service Rules and other extant laws and regulations.
Meanwhile, Vincent noted that a Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto has convicted a Law Enforcement Officer and sentenced him to prison.
He was convicted on a two-count charge of trafficking, contrary to section 26 (2) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act (2015) and was sentenced to 5 years on each count.
“This is NAPTIP’s 37th conviction and counting for the year 2023”, he concluded.
