Unongu Shares Mind

Ex Beauty Queen and Founder, The Rose John Foundation, Ms. Rose John was yesterday Conferred with the Peace Achievers' Award. The Award was Conferred to her at the 8th Peace Achievers International Awards 2019, held at the Congress Hall of the Transcript Hilton Hotel Abuja, Saturday the 21st of September, 2019. The event was a beehive of activities as dignitaries cutting across all works graced the occassion. Ms. Rose John was Conferred with the PEACE BUILDER/AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY, WOMEN AND GENDER ADVOCACY. The Award is an appreciation for the impact Ms. Rose John has made in people's life through her Foundation, which was established this 2019, to advocate for the Fundamental Rights of women, youths and children, whilst condemning gender based Violence in it's entirety. Ms. Rose John has made giant strides in the area of Domestic Violence, a social malaise which she has passionately stood against, having suffered Intimate Partner Violence for years in the ...

Feet and Tricks International, organisers of the first ever African Football Freestyle Championship in Africa has named two Human Trafficking Ambassadors, former professional English footballer, John Fashanu and Superstar Actress, King Tonto Dikeh as Brand Ambassadors for the 2018 Championship. Other notable Nigerians named as envoys are Former Nigerian defender and former Head of Lagos State Football Association, Waidi Akanni; former Super Eagles Coach, Samson Siasia, and Superstar actress, Kate Henshaw. All with enviable careers and celebrated globally are undoubtedly a perfect representation of the sporting excellence the brand stands for. Confirming this, Chairman, Feet ‘n’ Tricks International, Valentine Ozigbo, noted that ” Feet ‘n’ Tricks is on a mission to making Africa the home of freestyle football and providing a new platform for self-expression of skills in order to ultimately exploit the global appeal of the sport. It is hoped that, Ambassador...

A United Nations migration official called Thursday for Facebook to police its site and its WhatsApp messaging subsidiary for use by abusive human smugglers. Leonard Doyle, director of media and communication at the UN International Organization for Migration, said that Facebook and WhatsApp have become the media of choice for people smugglers in the Middle East and Africa to advertise their services and make arrangements with migrants. But many of those groups abuse migrants, taking travelers hostage and beating them to demand ransoms from their families, he said. As it now blocks violent jihadist groups like Islamic State from promoting itself on Facebook pages, Facebook should police people smugglers doing the same thing, Doyle said in an online discussion hosted by Refugees Deeply, a migration-focused media group. “They have turbocharged the access to smugglers,” he said. “Big tech companies have a huge responsibility that they are not living up to.” Sm...

PRESS RELEASE Man, 57 Yrs Bags 10years Imprisonment For Human Trafficking ... To Also Pay N1million Fine A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has sentenced one Yusuf Umar, 57years old to 10 years imprisonment for Human trafficking offences. He is to also pay a fine of N2, 000,000.00 (Two Million Naira) only. He is to also spend additional 2 years in prison if after the 10 years jail he is unable to pay the N2, 000,000.00 fine. Umar who hails from Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State had procured for himself a 14 year old girl from the same State and sexually exploited her. The offence is contrary to Section16 (1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015. The Section says, ‘’Any person who procures or recruits any person under the age of 18 years to be subjected to prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation with himself, any person or persons, either in Nigeria or anywhere else, commits an offence and is liable o...

PRESS RELEASE NAPTIP, British and Spanish Operatives Burst EIYE Confraternity Human Trafficking Gang ... Rescues 39 Victims of Sex Exploitation in Spain Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Crime Agency (NCA) of the British Government and Guardia Civil, the Spanish Law Enforcement Agency have in a joint operation disrupted activities of a Nigerian organised crime gang, Eiye Confraternity in Spain. 39 women victims of sexual exploitation were rescued in the operation. The international investigation into the organised criminal network  began when a victim made a report to the Spanish authorities, detailing how she arrived in Spain along with a number of other girls. The victims, all Nigerian nationals, and many under the age of 18, are believed to have undergone ‘Voodoo-Juju’ rituals in Nigeria to coerce them if they did not comply with orders given by the gang leaders. They were then moved by boat to Lib...

In what appears an indictment of the federal government, a cross section of Libyan returnees from Edo state has said more Nigerians would continue to flee to Libya in spite of the sufferings  and torture associated with such trips except governments at all levels become more responsive to the yearnings of the youth. Accusing the government of being the major stimulator of  such dangerous journeys, the returnees said if elected public officials fulfilled even half of their electioneering campaign promises, the number of irregular migrants from Nigeria would reduce drastically. They consequently advised international humanitarian agencies, particularly the United Nations Migration Agency, the International Organization for Migration IOM as well as the European Union EU against routing their projects through the Nigerian Government, lamenting that such lofty gestures hardly ever get to the intended beneficiaries. They spoke in Benin-City, Edo state at a ceremony organized b...

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has suspended two officers, Araoyinbo Oluwadare and Gabriel Awosanmi, for allegedly aiding and abetting human trafficking. Spokesman of the agency, Mr Sunday James, said yesterday that Oluwadare, a Senior Inspector of Immigration, and Awosanmi, an Immigration Assistant 1, were arrested at the Lagos international airport on Thursday night. They allegedly facilitated an attempted trafficking of six underage girls to Oman and Kuwait through an Ethiopian Airlines flight. Aviation security personnel at the airport apprehended the duo. James said: “The Comptroller General of Immigration, Muhammad Babandede, has ordered the suspension of the above- mentioned from duties with immediate effect in line with Service Rules and Regulations. “The suspension is to allow for detailed investigation into the issue with a view to unraveling their level of culpability and indeed other syndicates involved in the act. “The comptroller-general...

NAPTIP Arrests 11 Child Traffickers In Anambra State …Rescues 3 Children The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested 11 persons for suspected child trafficking, abduction and sale of children. They were arrested in different parts of Anambra state in a combined operation carried out with the support of the operatives of the Directorate of the State Services (DSS). The suspects comprising 8 women and 3 men were said to have belonged to a criminal syndicate that specialized in kidnapping and sale of babies across the country notably the States of the South-East, Lagos and Abuja. Three children whose ages range from 8 months to 4 years were recovered during the operation while scores of other children believed to have been trafficked by the gang are yet to be found. Among the children were a 2 - year old girl who was reportedly stolen from Lagos sometimes ago and another 4 - year old boy who was allegedly stolen from his parents in Gud...

The federal government has released a new directive on how President Muhammadu Buhari should be addressed at formal functions. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, gave the directive in a circular sent to ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government. “Government has observed with concern the inconsistent manner in which the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria is addressed during Official and Private functions. It has therefore become necessary to have a standard format for addressing him at such formal occasions,” Mr. Mustapha wrote in the circular dated January 26. “To this end, Mr. President shall henceforth be addressed as ‘‘MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.’’ except in purely Armed Forces Programmes, where “COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA” will be added. “All concerned persons should accordin...

PRESS RELEASE Benin Monarch Partners NAPTIP Against Human Trafficking The Benin Traditional Institution is to work with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to stem the tide of human trafficking in Edo State and Nigeria in General. This was the outcome of the advocacy visit of the Director-General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli to His Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II Ogidigan, Oba of Benin Kingdom, in Benin City, the Edo State capital. The Director-General had led a team of NAPTIP officials to the Royal father to enlist the support of the traditional institution in Edo State and in particular the Benin Kingdom in the fight against human trafficking bearing in mind the endemic nature of the State in human trafficking and the image problem accompanying that status. She urged the Oba of Benin to join NAPTIP in its renewed efforts at stopping the juju priests in Benin from further administering oaths on victim...

PRESS RELEASE Youth Migration: NAPTIP Boss Calls for Conducive Environment for Employment Creation The Provision of a conducive environment for direct foreign investment into Nigeria remains the panacea to the mass unemployment problem in Nigeria. The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Dame Julie Okah-Donli said this in Benin City, the Edo State capital while delivering a lecture at the University of Benin as part of activities marking the 60th birthday ceremony of businessman and philanthropist, Captain (Dr) Idahosa Wells Okunbo. She was speaking on the topic: Youth Migration, Deportation and Rehabilitation: The Way Forward, under the theme: Youth Migration, Consequences and Current Realities, Some of the issues she identified as capable of making the environment conducive for foreign direct investments include: development and maintenance of Infrastructure, security, strengthening the Economy and provision of Social Sec...

Dame Julie Okah-Donli, the Director-General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), on Wednesday called for the closure of detention camps across the world. Okah-Donli made the call when she received representatives from the UK Parliament and its House of Lords in NAPTIP office on Wednesday in Benin. She advocated that instead of detention camps, shelters should be provided where illegal migrants could stay for at least a month before deportation to their countries. According to her, the forceful repatriation of illegal migrants and victims of human trafficking hinges on their fundamental human rights. She said that there was the need for justice for the victims as they were entitled to lawyers, lamenting that these victims were not usually given such rights by the countries repatriating them. According to her, there is need for shared intelligence between countries repatriating illegal migrants and receiving countries. This she noted had not been...

The Federal Government has promised improved funding for the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in the current fiscal year. The Promise was given by the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Human Rights, Hon Edward Gyang Pwajok during the budget defence by NAPTIP at the National Assembly. It will be recalled the the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, had few months ago while playing host to the Director General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli expressed satisfaction with the activities of the Agency and promised that the National Assembly will scale up the budgetary allocation to the Agency in order to boost its operations. Speaking after the submission by the Director of of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli who was represented by the Director, Finance and Account, Dr. Hassan Ndanusa, the lawmaker who was impressed with the prudent utilization of the resources allocated to the Agency in the previous year pointed out that the current funding a...

Liberia on Thursday, January 25, imposed a one-year ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a highly contentious issue in the West African country, but campaigners said it may not be enforceable. The ban came into force after former leader Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf signed an executive order before stepping down. The move received little publicity, overshadowed by Monday’s inauguration of Johnson-Sirleaf’s successor, former soccer star George Weah. The ban makes it an offence to perform FGM on anyone under 18 but it can still be carried out on adults with their consent. Campaigners said FGM should be banned outright as even women who gave consent often did so under pressure. “It is too early to celebrate as there is still a long way to go before there is zero tolerance to FGM in Liberia,” said Grace Uwizeye, a consultant with international rights group Equality Now. Activists have long campaigned for FGM to be outlawed in Liberia, a country of about 4.6 million peopl...

Independent operators rather than criminal kingpins control routes that bring migrants into Europe from Africa, researchers said on Monday. No fewer than 600,000 migrants have reached Italy, mostly from Libya, since 2014. Also, no fewer than 20,000 are estimated to have died attempting the crossing in the past four years, making it the deadliest border for migrants in the world. “This is a far cry from how Mafia-like organisations operate, and a major departure from media reports claiming that shadowy kingpins monopolise certain routes.” Many entrusted their lives to smugglers who charge exorbitant prices to help them reach Europe. The study examined the findings of an 18-month investigation by Italian prosecutors into the 2013 migrant shipwreck off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa, in which more than 360 migrants died, most of them from Eritrea and Somalia. While conducting his research, Campana also analysed wiretapped telephone conversations, testimonies, in...

A bill which seeks to provide for the registration and monitoring of convicts of sexual offences against children has passed second reading in the House of Representatives. Sponsored by the lawmaker representing Bekwarra/Obudu/Obanliku Cross Rivers, Ochiglegor Idagbo, the bill proposes the establishment of a monitoring unit under the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and keep records of those convicted for the rape of minors. The bill, which enjoyed the support of most members will also ensure that a website is created to make it easy for members of the public to check the identity of those that seek to work with them before employing them. “History has taught us that people that commit sexual offences against minors have the tendencies to commit this sexual offence again and again. “So, this bill seeks to establish a monitoring unit under NAPTIP that will register and monitor these sexual offenders. Whenever these sexual offenders seek employ...

A Calabar Division of the Federal High Court has sentenced one Ifeanyi Okorogu, an indigene of Imo State, to two years imprisonment for human trafficking and attempting to sell a child. Mr. Okorogu was arraigned by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on a two count charge under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015. The convict and his accomplice were arrested on December 1, 2017, at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, by officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service and transferred to the Uyo Zonal Command of NAPTIP for further investigations and prosecution. He was charged under Sections 13 and 29 of the Trafficking Prohibition Act. The prosecution said Mr. Okorogu harboured a 16 year old girl and “exploited her using her position of vulnerability.” He further attempted to sell the her baby for N150,000 before he was arrested at the airport. Delivering judgement on the case ...

No fewer than six children between the ages of three and 10 have been rescued from a suspected human trafficking transit camp in the Ejigbo area of Lagos State. The owner of the camp, 25-year-old Comfort Anwana, was arrested on Tuesday during a raid carried out by operatives of the state police command and the Ministry of Youths and Social Services. Her siblings, Gift, 28; and 23-year-old Blessing, who stayed with her, were also apprehended. They all hail from the Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State. PUNCH Metro  learnt that the team stormed the one-room apartment camp following a report from some residents of the area that Anwana illegally took custody of the children. The state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, who led the operation, noted that the camp was not an orphanage. He said how Anwana came about the children was shrouded in mystery, adding that the command would carry out an investigation to unravel the actual activities of the centre. Imohimi said, ...

Libya’s navy says it has rescued 272 migrants whose vessels were stranded in the Mediterranean Sea as they tried to reach southern Europe. A navy statement late on Sunday said the migrants were on two vessels. The engine of one vessel sank into the sea while the engine of the other broke down. It says the migrants included 53 women and 57 children. The bodies of two female migrants were found on one of the vessels. It added that the survivors were taken to a port in Tripoli, the Libyan capital. Libya has been plagued by lawlessness and militia rule since a 2011 uprising toppled and killed dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The chaos has allowed the North African nation to become a major transit point for migrants seeking to reach Europe. SOURCE:  https://www.today.ng/news/africa/55493/libyan-navy-rescues-272-migrants-stranded-boats/amp?__twitter_impression=true

Emmanuel Eboue not dead, Leofirms Sport can confirm. The former Arsenal star is currently in Ivory Cost. This is coming after reports circulated online yesterday that Eboue committed suicide in London. The report claimed the defender was found dead in his sister’s North London home after suffering long-term depression. He was spotted yesterday in Ivory Coast at a football tournament organised by Ben Adama, as he continues his vacation in his home country. SOURCE: http://leofirms.com/update-emmanuel-eboue-not-dead-currently-ivory-cost/