How Lagos Airport immigration stopped 100 girls from being trafficked – Comptroller

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Lagos has stopped the trafficking of 100 Nigerian girls from January to date.

The Comptroller of the command, Kemi Nana Nandap said the girls were prevented from travelling following the deployment of the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS).

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MIDAS is a user-friendly and customizable Border Management Information System (BMIS) that helps to collect, process, store and analyze traveller’s information and share data in real-time across an entire national border network.

In a chat with our correspondent on the sideline of a pre-arrival briefing of some returnees to the airport, the Comptroller said through the application of MIDAS, a lot of successes had been recorded in stopping potential traffickers with 100 prevented from January till date.

She explained that many young girls were usually deceived and lured with juicy job offers outside the country only to turn them into sex slaves and use them for several unimaginable things.

But the Immigration boss said through the officers’ thorough investigation, proper checks of passengers’ travel history, they were able to detect potential cases of trafficking.

She said, “MIDAS has revolutionised border management and made our borders more secure. We usually bring in these girls and profile them. The Comptroller General of Immigration is very keen on border management so that we can stop trafficking which has a lot to do with border control. We have deployed more men at the airport and put in place so many protocols for departure.

“The departure protocol is now more rigorous. We have very talented, dedicated officers manning various points at the airport and this has reduced those going out irregularly.

“We screen them thoroughly. We have put in place a lot of checks and balances. We have been able to regulate the departure of some of these young girls. Most of them have the illusion that it is better out there but we have to educate them. We have some of them coming back with horrific stories. A lot needs to be done in sensitising our young girls.”