The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has been directed to submit all names of persons, state and federal government delegations, supporters and NFF delegation to the 2018 FIFA World Cup to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for screening.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung gave the directive in a statement on Tuesday following an alarm raised by NAPTIP, alerting the general public on plans by human traffickers to use the upcoming World Cup to traffic Nigerian youths to Europe.
Earlier, at a press conference, the Director General of NAPTIP Julie Okah-Donli, disclosed that part of the plot was to float unregistered football supporters clubs, unofficial government delegations as well as unregistered youth bodies and ferry them out of Nigeria using the World Cup tournament as a ploy.
The Minister, therefore, directed the NFF to present all lists of Nigerians on the supporters club’s list and any delegation(s) to NAPTIP for clearance before departure to the World Cup.
Dalung advised the NFF “to ensure that only genuine World Cup spectators and supporters are presented for clearance to travel out of the country.”
The Minister also promised to engage the support of the Controller General of the Nigeria Immigration service to checkmate the traffickers ahead of the World Cup.
DAILY POST reports that Dalung will, on Wednesday, meet with the DIrector General of NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Russian Ambassador to Nigeria to map out measures to reduce trafficking of persons during the forthcoming FIFA World Cup in Russia.
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