The European Union (EU) has handed over a modern digital interviewing 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 designed to improve evidence collection, protect survivors and enhance the agency’s capacity to dismantle transnational criminal networks.
The 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 Director-General of the agency, Binta Adamu Bello, described the intervention as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s collective 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 help ensure that suspect interrogations and victim statements met 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 assets would further improve its success in prosecuting traffickers.
She said the accompanying operational equipment would enhance the readiness of field officers, particularly in mobility, communication and intelligence gathering during complex anti-trafficking operations.
Bello noted that human trafficking and migrant smuggling were transnational organised crimes that exploited human vulnerability, undermined national security and violated fundamental human rights, stressing that tackling them required joint responsibility, intelligence sharing and coordinated international action.
According to her, the COP Nigeria initiative aligns with NAPTIP’s mandate of strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to detect, investigate, prosecute and 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 Director-General also assured the partners that the agency would ensure effective deployment and maintenance of the facilities and equipment across its investigative and victim protection units.
She said 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 in efforts 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 partners reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Nigeria through international cooperation, intelligence sharing and stronger institutional capacity, emphasising the importance of sustained collaboration among government agencies, international organisations and other stakeholders in tackling the crimes.
