NIS warns against sexual exploitation of minors in border communities

Worried by the high rate of sexual exploitation of minors and abuse of female migrants around border communities the Nigeria Immigration Service, Akwa Ibom State command said it has directed its operatives to arrest any minor predisposing herself or anyone looking for minors at the borders for sexual exploitations.

The State Comptroller NIS, Francisca Dakat gave the directive while speaking at a sensitisation workshop for officers and men of the command held at Four Points By Sheraton in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.

She lamented the predominance of the menace in Akwa Ibom which she said was due to the presence of many borders as escape routes.

The Comptroller, however, commended the organisers of the event for the choice of Akwa Ibom for the training.

She said, “For those of you that live in the borders you know what happens there, the indigenes will come and report that the Cameroonians and the Ghanaians come in and take away their daughters and come back and pick others.

“An officer told me that most times they will drive those girls hanging around the borders away and they(girls) will feel that they were interfering in their business. I told them(officers) to do their work, arrest such persons and those looking for those minors for sexual exploitation.”

Speaking on the seminar organised by the Service in partnership with the International Center for Migration Policy Development,” Dakat said the workshop was to create awareness and equip officers and men of the mainstreaming project of the Modernising Nigeria Immigration Service (MoNIS) which according to her aimed at making deliberate policy to integrate men and women interests into all stages of planning, implementation and evaluation programmes.

She added that the gender mainstreaming project would ensure gender equality and equity in the workplace, and equal opportunity for male and female personnel to enjoy gender inclusivity in recruitment, deployment, and training.

She commended the Acting Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Ag. CGIS Caroline Adepoju and the implementation partner, International Centre for Migration Policy and Development (ICMPD) for extending the sensitisation workshop to the command.

Earlier in her welcome address, Deputy Comptroller Immigration, Adekemi Ojo, NIS – ICMPD, Focal Person, said that gender mainstreaming was an essential aspect of development that recognizes the different needs of men and women in society.

Ojo said the project would involve ensuring that issues related to gender are integrated into all policies, programmes, and activities to ensure men and women have equal access to resources and opportunities.

She reminded participants that the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse are serious issues that affect both men and women, boys and girls, and are prevalent all over the world.

She said the sensitisation workshop was aimed at addressing these issues and strives towards reducing the ills or completely eradicating them where possible.

The resource person, Dr Eddy Akpomera speaking on the topic: “imperativeness of Gender mainstreaming and key pointers in� NIS Gender policy” said gender mainstreaming is all about equity and fairness saying there must be fairness before equality could be attained.