Law Enforcement Training

TIP Training for Immigration Service

In collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP), the National Judicial Institute, the police, and immigration, the Africa Division of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative organized trainings in different parts of the country for members of the bar and the bench; police officers who will act as trainers in the various Police training schools in the country; and immigration officers from the anti-human trafficking units of the immigration services and trainers in the immigration training schools.

The training programs included presentations on:

• General Introduction and Overview of Trafficking in Persons
• International Legal Regime of TIP
• Provisions of Nigeria’s Anti-TIP legislation
• Trans-National Nature of TIP and the jurisdiction of Nigerian courts
• Management of traffic in persons cases, from arrest through prosecution to rehabilitation
• Adjudicating TIP Cases :Jurisdiction, Procedure, and Sentencing issues,
• Investigation and Evidence Gathering in TIP cases
• Human Trafficking and National Security,
• Detection of Forged Documents
• Training Methodology

Anti-TIP Training for Judiciary and Prosecutors

 The objectives of the trainings are to:

• Sensitize both the Bar and the Bench on TIP so that they will recognize the need for the protection of rights of the victims of TIP.
• To increase the participants knowledge of TIP
• To build the participants capacity to identify, intercept and investigate TIP cases
• To equip trainers with training methods and techniques

 

Developing anti-TIP Curriculum Materials

The Nigeria office of the Rule of Law Initiative supported the anti-trafficking unit of the Nigerian Police force in the development of anti-TIP curriculum materials for the Police training schools.  The Africa Division is also working in collaboration with the Anti Human Trafficking and Child Labor unit of the Nigeria Immigration Services to develop  anti-TIP curriculum  materials for the NIS training schools.

 

Left to right: Professor Omoluabi, Univ. of Lagos, Jeremy Chen, U.S. Consulate, Lagos

Providing Training for Counselors at NAPTIP Shelter

The ABA Rule of Law Initiative's Nigeria office has provided training to NAPTIP’s counseling staff to build their capacity to assist TIP victims, who are received at the various NAPTIP shelters, to recover from the trauma of having been trafficked.

The objectives of the workshop were to enable the counselors to:

• Have an in-depth understanding of the trauma the victims of human trafficking experience.
• Acquire the practical skills in identifying and evaluating the trauma of victims.
• Acquire necessary practical skills that will enable them to alleviate the trauma of victims.

The workshop included sessions on:

Counselors Training Participants

• Concepts, characteristics and manifestation of trauma in victims of human trafficking
• Identification of trauma in victims through behavioral assessment
• Interview techniques in counseling
• Establishing rapport with victims
• Enhancing the communication skills of counselors
• Basic Psychotherapy for Counselors

 

Providing Logistical Support to the NAPTIP Shelter

The Africa Division of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative has provided support to the NAPTIP shelter in Lagos to help meet the basic logistical needs of the shelter residents, including food, personal toiletries, etc.    

 

Providing Support for Trafficking Victims to Undergo Skills Acquisition Training

Through partnerships with NAPTIP Benin and Idia Renaissance, a local NGO in Benin City, the Africa Division of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative has provided assistance for vocational training programs for TIP victims in Benin City.  The courses include catering, fashion design, and computer training. These skills will help prevent victims to become economically self sufficient, and thereby reduce their risk of being re-trafficked.