By Dele Ogbodo
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), on Thursday insisted that the Police officer, Mr. Femi Esan,
arrested over suspected human trafficking of 10 Nigerian girls to Russia must face the law.
In a statement signed by the agency’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Nneka Aniagoh, said its attention has been drawn to the statement credited to the spokesperson for the MurtalaMuhammed International Airport MMIA Police Command, DSP Joseph Alabi exonerating Mr. Mathew Esan, who was arrested by the agency over his involvement in the attempt to traffic 10 young Nigerians to Russia last Saturday.
She said the agency is shocked that Alabi, would make such a sweeping statement that the Officer was arrested by “overzealous NAPTIP operatives while carrying out his legitimate duties at the airport terminal”, especially in a case where he knows next to nothing about.
NAPTIP expected the Nigerian Police, MurtalaMuhammed Airport Command to await the outcome of the ongoing investigation before exonerating the Police Officer.
Aniagoh, said: ‘’We wish to assure the public that the Nigerian Police as an institution is not under investigation by NAPTIP, the only person being investigated is Mathew Esan who is an officer of the Nigerian Police. He was caught in the act while coordinating the arrangement at the airport for the potential victims of trafficking to board the Turkish Airline flight.
‘’NAPTIP insists that Mathew Esan is fully involved in the foiled attempt to traffic the young Nigerians to Russia, a trip which would have succeeded save for the timely interception of our operatives. Esan was not the only Policeman on duty on that day and the NAPTIP operatives did not go for them. It is also wrong to claim that the officers suddenly descended on him and arrested him. They had monitored his activities on that day and his association with the rescued girls before they went after him.
‘’We do not know how the Command’s Spokesperson ascertained that the other suspects denied knowing Esan, and we hope he is not merely relying on hearsay from his colleague as he is not a member of the NAPTIP investigating team. We therefore appeal to him to exercise restraints at this point and await the outcome of the investigation.
NAPTIP’s concern according to Aniagoh is the safety of young Nigerians, explaining taht the agency will continue to collaborate with the Police as one of its strong allies in the fight against human trafficking.