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U.S. Pledges To Support Nigeria’s Fight Against Modern-day Slavery

Published

4 years ago

January 28, 2022

The U.S. government on Thursday pledged to support Nigeria in its efforts to combat modern-day slavery and all forms of human trafficking and smuggling.

Ms Kathleen FlitzGibbon, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, said this at an event organised to commemorate the 2022 National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

The event, held in collaboration with the DEVATOP Center for African Development under its “TALKAM” Human Rights Project, had the theme “improving awareness on Human Trafficking and increasing Reportage of Cases”.

According to FlitzGibbon, human trafficking has taken various forms and is also known as modern-day slavery which requires collaborative efforts to effectively tackle.

She said that in Nigeria, modern-day slavery had continued to thrive under the guise of relatives taking young girls and boys out of the villages to the city to give them education.

She said that the training of advocates by DEVATOP center would help bring some of the tricks to the limelight and sensitise those in rural communities so that they do not fall victims.

FlitzGibbom further said that deepening partnerships with a broad array of stakeholders inside and outside government was therefore critical to bolstering Nigeria’s anti-trafficking and anti-smuggling efforts.

“What we see at the countrysides which are the aunties in the villages seeking help from people to get education for their children by sending them off to the cities to work in somebody’s house.

“And we know that traditional part has become a major form of trafficking, and we do have a lot of attention in Nigeria with prostitution into Italy.

“The biggest problem for all African countries is the domestic servitude part of it,” she said.

The deputy chief said that type of training for civil societies was a plus multiplier for NAPTIP, the police, immigration, and other law enforcement agencies.

“Because when you see something, you say something to them they can take action. So this programme is so great.

“Human Trafficking has no place in a society that values freedom and the rule of law, hence for these reasons, the United States stands with Nigeria in its fight against trafficking,” FlitzGibbon said.

Dr Fatima Waziri- Azi, Director-General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) commended DEVATOP Center for African Development for its advocacy which was yielding visible results.

Waziri-Azi, represented by Mrs Roseline Abare, NAPTIP’s Chief Intelligent Officer, Public Enlightenment Department said the agency was pleased to work with the center full of youths with drive.

“TALKAM Human Rights project is a valuable initiative especially as it focuses on combatting human trafficking and related human rights abuses.

“It is also very commendable that TALKAM project, with the support of the U.S. Embassy, Abuja, is marking this year’s National Human Trafficking Month in graduating 40 human rights advocates.

“Driving the nexus between the visions of the DEVATOP Center and the responsibilities of NAPTIP.

“As an NGO that is also led by the youths, we, NAPTIP applaud your aggressive nature towards your impacting over a million people through training, sensitisations, and awareness campaigns.

“NAPTIP is pleased to work with you and wishes you more success in your endeavours,” Waziri-Azi said.

Also, Mrs Victoria Oladiran, DEVATOP Center Communication’s Associate said it would continue to carry out sensitisation and campaigns in the society to tackle the menace.

Oladiran said that the center had trained over 50 advocates who would in turn carry out extensive sensitisation in their communities. (NAN)

Headline

Woman Wanted Over Mutilation Of Boyfriend’s Genitals In US

Published

13 hours ago

October 9, 2025

Editor

Authorities in Toledo, Ohio, United States, are searching for a 45-year-old woman, Jeanita Hopings, accused of breaking into her boyfriend’s home and attacking him with a sharp object, causing serious injuries to his genitals.

As reported by PEOPLE on Thursday, warrants issued for Hopings’ arrest show she faces charges of felonious assault and aggravated burglary in connection with the October 7 incident.

Investigators allege that Hopings “forcefully kicked open the front door” of her boyfriend’s home before entering “without permission,” according to one of the warrants.

Once inside, she allegedly attacked the victim with an “unknown instrument,” inflicting a deep wound.

“The victim’s testicle was clearly exposed as the result of the laceration,” the warrant stated.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, police confirmed.

Hopings has not yet been arrested and has not entered a plea to the charges. Court records from Lucas County indicate that she has no prior felony history, though she has previously faced several traffic-related misdemeanour offences.

Police say Hopings remains at large as the investigation continues.

Headline

US To Execute Man Convicted Of Rape, Murder Of Teen

Published

16 hours ago

October 9, 2025

Editor

A 53-year-old man convicted of the 2001 rape and murder of a teenage girl is to be executed by lethal injection in the US state of Indiana on Friday.

Roy Lee Ward was sentenced to death in 2002 for the murder of 15-year-old Stacy Payne at her home in the town of Dale.

Payne was repeatedly stabbed and died of her injuries several hours after the attack.

Ward was arrested at the scene while still holding a knife.

The execution is to be carried out between midnight and sunrise on Friday morning at a state prison in Michigan City.

Ward will be the third person put to death in Indiana since the state resumed executions last year after a 15-year hiatus because of difficulties obtaining the lethal drugs used in them.

There have been 34 executions in the United States this year, the most since 2014, when 35 inmates were put to death.

Florida has carried out the most executions — 13 — followed by Texas with five and South Carolina and Alabama with four.

Twenty-eight of this year’s executions have been carried out by lethal injection, two by firing squad and four by nitrogen hypoxia, which involves pumping nitrogen gas into a face mask, causing the prisoner to suffocate.

The use of nitrogen gas as a method of capital punishment has been denounced by United Nations experts as cruel and inhumane.

The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others — California, Oregon and Pennsylvania — have moratoriums in place.

President Donald Trump is a proponent of capital punishment and on his first day in office called for an expansion of its use “for the vilest crimes.”

AFP

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Trump Gives Update On Israel, Hamas Peace Deal

Published

1 day ago

October 8, 2025

Editor

Trump Gives Update On Israel, Hamas Peace Deal

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he may go to the Middle East at the end of this week as a peace deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is “very close.”

Trump said during an event at the White House that he would “go to Egypt most likely” but that he would also consider going to war-torn Gaza.

“I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday, actually. And we’ll see, but there is a very good chance. Negotiations are going along very well,” Trump told reporters at the start of the event.

“Our final negotiation, as you know, is with Hamas, and it seems to be going well. So we’ll let you know, if that’s the case, we’ll be leaving probably on Sunday, maybe on Saturday.”

Near the end of the meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio unexpectedly entered the room and handed Trump a note.

The US president told reporters the note said that “we’re very close to a deal” and that his presence was needed. “I have to go now to try and solve some problems in the Middle East,” he added.

Hamas and Israeli officials are having indirect talks in Egypt on a 20-point peace proposal unveiled by Trump to end the two-year-old war.

– ‘Very close’ –

Trump said as he began the event that he had come off the phone with officials in the Middle East, where his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner had just joined discussions in Egypt.

“‘Peace for the Middle East,’ that’s a beautiful phrase, and we hope it’s going to come true, but it’s very close, and they’re doing very well,” Trump added.

“We have a great team over there, great negotiators, and they’re, unfortunately, great negotiators on the other side also. But it’s something I think that will happen.”

Asked if he would consider going to Gaza if a deal happens, Trump replied: “I would, yeah. I would. I might do that. I may do that. We haven’t decided exactly.”

Trump said he would insist on the release of hostages held by Hamas before traveling to the region.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said earlier that he had received “encouraging” signs and hailed the support of Trump.

Hamas too expressed “optimism” over the indirect discussions with its foe Israel.

Trump’s plan calls for a ceasefire, the release of all the hostages held in Gaza, Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the territory.
AFP