By Aderogba George
Nigeria and Spain have reaffirmed their collaboration in combating trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling with the commencement of a four-day capacity-building workshop for prosecutors, investigators and intelligence officers in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the participants are drawn from the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
The workshop is funded by the European Union and supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) under the Support to Migration Governance in Nigeria, Component 3 project implemented by the Spanish Government.
The training, themed “Strengthening Transnational Investigative Cooperation”, is organised by the Foundation for the Internationalisation of Public Administration (FIAP) Nigeria, a Spanish public foundation.
Speaking at the opening, FIAP Project Team Director, Mr Javier Leon, said the programme was aimed at strengthening cooperation between Nigeria and Spain in tackling trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants.
Leon said although Nigeria and Spain were geographically distant, both countries shared migration routes, common security challenges and a responsibility to protect vulnerable people from criminal networks.
He said Spanish and Nigerian law enforcement agencies had worked together for years through intelligence sharing, joint investigations and institutional partnerships.
According to him, the workshop will deepen professional relationships, promote the exchange of operational experience and enhance international cooperation against transnational organised crime.
“Criminal networks operate across borders and our response must do the same. Together, we must build stronger institutions and a better future for our countries,” Leon said.
The Interior Attaché at the Spanish Embassy, Mr Luis Puig, said Nigeria and Spain had built a strong partnership in tackling human trafficking and migrant smuggling based on a shared commitment to protecting human dignity.
Puig urged participants to actively engage with facilitators, exchange experiences and maximise the opportunity to strengthen their investigative capacity.
He added that the training would further reinforce the long-standing cooperation between both countries.
FIAP Project Officer for the Support to Migration Governance in Nigeria project, Mrs Cayetana Bellisco, described FIAP as a Spanish public foundation under the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.
Bellisco said the foundation promoted peer-to-peer cooperation by enabling public institutions to share knowledge, practical experience and solutions to common challenges.
She said experts from Spain and Nigeria would work together over the next four days to strengthen investigative skills and build lasting institutional partnerships.
According to her, trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling require coordinated responses that go beyond national borders.
Also speaking, the Head of Intelligence and International Cooperation Unit at NAPTIP, Mrs Chineye Edeoga, said human trafficking continued to evolve through new routes, methods and the increasing use of cyberspace.
Edeoga said the training would equip intelligence officers with the skills required to respond to emerging trends through intelligence-led policing.
She said participants would examine a high-profile trafficking case jointly handled by Nigerian authorities and Spain that resulted in the conviction of a trafficker.
She also disclosed that traffickers were continuously exploiting routes through Senegal to facilitate irregular migration to Europe.
According to her, the training will cover intelligence-led policing, financial intelligence, victim-centred investigations and document fraud detection. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
AG/TAK
Edited by Tosin Kolade