Cablegate: Recent Tip Cases Show Nigeria's Progress And

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

161232Z Mar 05

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000419

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR G, INL/CTR, DRL, PRM, IWI, AF/RSA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KCRM KWMN NI
SUBJECT: RECENT TIP CASES SHOW NIGERIA'S PROGRESS AND
REMAINING HURDLES

1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In late February, state government
officials in Lagos closed an "orphanage" run by a
supposed church minister that was fronting for child
trafficking and other illicit practices. On March 5,
police in Lagos intercepted a truck carrying more than
60 children from Niger State. The Ambassador issued a
press statement (text below) on March 7 congratulating
the GON for the arrests. On March 4, immigration
officials at the Benin border with Lagos State stopped
a truck trafficking 52 Togolese children. Government
action on these cases and the extensive media coverage
received are signs of Nigerian commitment to and
progress in combating trafficking. END SUMMARY.

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OFFICIALS UNCOVER A SUSPICIOUS ORPHANAGE
AND 2 ALLEGED TIP CASES
----------------------------------------

2. (U) In late February, Lagos State government
officials closed an "orphanage" run by a supposed
church minister but suspected of being a front for
child trafficking. The investigation of the
"orphanage" continues. The "minister" was arrested for
recruiting pregnant teenagers and selling their babies.
An official from the Nigeria Agency for the Prevention
of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said NAPTIP will
assume the case if they can confirm the teenagers were
brought to the orphanage through deception or for
exploitive purposes, both of which constitute
trafficking under Nigerian law.

3. (SBU) On March 5 at one of the highway checkpoints
across Nigeria, police in Lagos intercepted a truck
from Niger State carrying a container marked "frozen
fish." In reality, more than 60 children were inside
the dark, unventilated carriage. Many were suffering
from dehydration and exhaustion. The police arrested
the driver and his accomplices. Media reports said the
driver went through several such police checkpoints
from Niger State to Lagos, paying the small N20 (17
cents) bribe commonly charged to all but diplomats and
VIPs passing through. When the more suspicious police
at the Lagos checkpoint questioned the cargo, the
driver offered a N5,000 ($37) bribe.

4. (SBU) According to a deputy police commissioner in
Lagos, the investigation is ongoing and will be
transferred from the Lagos Command to the Federal
Criminal Investigation Bureau. The head of the NAPTIP
investigation department, however, said his agency is
taking over the investigation and sent an officer to
Lagos last week to begin. The children were in police
custody before being transferred to the Lagos NAPTIP
shelter the evening of March 8, according to the
shelter director. Shelter staff plan to reintegrate
the children back into their home communities, but they
realize it will involve working first with the parents,
many of whom see no problem with sending their child
away for domestic or agricultural work.

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AMBASSADOR'S MARCH 7 PRESS STATEMENT
------------------------------------

5. (U) Begin text:

Ambassador Congratulates the Nigerian Government on
Breaking Up Human Trafficking Network and Rescuing
Children

We congratulate the Government of Nigeria on its
success this weekend in breaking up a major network of
criminals engaged in human trafficking, and rescuing 62
children from bondage and grave physical danger in
Lagos. The young children had been transported from
northern Nigeria in a metal container for more than 24
hours. The smugglers claimed the container was filled
with "frozen fish." In reality the children inside
were suffering from dehydration and exhaustion, but now
they have been rescued.

This achievement follows on the Nigerian Government's
operation in February that closed down an illicit
"orphanage" in the Okota suburb of Lagos, another blow
against human traffickers. A Nigerian Government team
led by Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele rescued 11 children there.

The successful operations demonstrate the Nigerian
Government's continuing commitment to combating this
scourge. We welcome and strongly support these
efforts. As the Embassy pointed out last week in
presenting the State Department's 2004 Human Rights
Report on Nigeria, the Nigerian Government's
institutions and programs on human trafficking are
moving into high gear. We urge all Nigerians to work
with their Government, directly and through the many
concerned NGOs, to fight human trafficking and to take
pride in Nigeria's successes.

End Text

6. (U) According to NAPTIP, on March 4, immigration
officials also stopped a truck at the Benin border with
Lagos State trafficking 52 children from Togo. The
children were entrusted to Togolese authorities in
Nigeria.
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COMMENT
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6. (U) The arrests and investigations show increased
awareness among police and officials and a commitment
to pursuing traffickers. The extensive media coverage
also increased public awareness. In several media
reports, officials have taken the opportunity to call
for vigilance among communities in reporting possible
trafficking cases.

7. (SBU) These cases also expose many of the challenges
Nigeria must still overcome. Coordination and
information sharing within the police force and between
the police and NAPTIP remain significant problems.
Different answers from the police and NAPTIP as to who
will carry out the investigation in the Niger State
truck case showed a lack of coordination and some
tension in the relationship between the two entities.

BROWNE

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